


Kings

by AgentLin



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul, Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Black Butler, Alternate Universe - Bratva, Alternate Universe - Syndicate, Alternate Universe - Tokyo Ghoul, Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Alternate Universe - Yuri!!! On Ice, Alternate universe - Mafia, F/F, F/M, M/M, alternate universe - Attack on Titan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2018-10-28 14:49:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10833480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentLin/pseuds/AgentLin
Summary: “The Funtom Company has increased in profits as it has expanded across the globe. I do plan to continue the expansion, but I rather personally discuss with each of you about moving into your territory...""Things back home have been rather peaceful. No issues with business and not much increase in profit than previously predicted. The balance in my world remains, although recent ghoul activity has surprisingly increased in Tokyo...""Recently I’ve had people from another gang in my territory. They haven’t been much trouble, but I think they might be observing. I take it back, they have been trouble...""Not much has happened for me I’m afraid. Business has been working as usual, a few more people getting under my command. There are of course the common issues of betrayal and gang wars but nothing to affect me directly or significantly..."





	1. Chapter 1

    The room was completely drenched in darkness, the only light coming from a dimly lit chandelier. The four people sat around at a table, each occupying one of the four sides. The smell of coffee and tea filled the air. There wasn’t any tension between the men, instead a sense union and delight filled the room.

“Well, since this is my estate, it is only fitting I go first. The Funtom Company has increased in profits as it has expanded across the globe. Its toys remain quite popular amongst children and off course the goods sold for older customers remain well within relevance. I do plan to continue the expansion, but I rather personally discuss with each of you about moving into your territory. Perhaps tomorrow over dinner we can discuss expansion plans and profits. Although, amongst this good news I do have one pressing issue I should inform you on. One of the families under me, the Brandel family, have recently committed treason against me. Specifically the former head of the Brandel family, Cedric. I dealt with him last week and am currently renegotiating our partnership with the new head of the family, his son, Thomas. The boy is of age to deal with his family business. His company’s second rate tea leaves are dreadful if I’m being honest. Despite that I am willing to give him a chance to correct his father’s mistake. If negotiations go well this whole situation will have been a mere nuisance to me. If negotiations break down then I will have to put the Brandel family out of power, one way or another. Thomas has a wife and a child on the way so I am confident he’ll make the best choice for him and his family. I do have contingencies in place if he proves to be even more of a fool than his father. Nonetheless, by the end of this month the matter shall be resolved.”

    Ciel finished his report and took a sip of his tea, letting his words get processed by the others. No one commented since there was no doubt Ciel could deal with whatever issues presented themselves before him. The question now was who was next. In a matter of moments the silence in the room was broken by a light chuckle.

“You always seem busy Ciel. Anyway, I suppose I can give my report. Things back home have been rather peaceful. No issues with business and not much increase in profit than previously predicted. The balance in my world remains, although recent ghoul activity has surprisingly increased in Tokyo. The CCG have been doing well with dealing with the problem and I have lend a hand where I could. Although rumors are spreading that this increased ghoul activity is my doing which I assure you it’s not. Since then I’ve been more involved in dealing with the problem and finding the root of it. I hope that when I get back this activity will have decreased or better yet disappeared entirely. Sadly I feel like the issue is far from over so if it has not been resolved by the time I get home I will speak with the current bureau chief of the CCG and the best investigator they have, Juuzou. From there joining forces would be the best and a temporary course of action. Until this is resolved I think it’s best to hold off expanding your company to my territory Ciel. Once the matter clears up we can talk business. I do apologize for the inconvenience.”

“Don’t bother apologizing for something you have no control over.” Ciel said. “We can discuss business matters later on.”

    Another silence fell. It was more of a chance for everyone to collect their thoughts. On average, they tend to meet at least once a year and never really poke in another’s business. These meet ups were a good way to catch up and chat, they were friends after all.

“I’m afraid I also have some bad news for you Ciel. Recently I’ve had people from another gang in my territory. They haven’t been much trouble, but I think they might be observing. I take it back, they have been trouble.” The gray haired man leaned back in his chair. “They are terrorizing people, and over the last few times I’ve had more than a handful of complaints. I myself am waiting for them to make a move. Merely standing out in public places looking menacingly is not enough for me to personally take action. Now before I get ahead of myself, these men work for a crime lord known as Jean-Jacques Leroy, JJ, for short. He’s had his hand in a few dealings across the globe. He’s rather well known to some of the other crime lords. I’ve heard of him before but now he’s messing with my territory. My consultants tell me that JJ plans to take my place in the Bratva. That surely isn’t pleasing and with that rumor going around I’ve had to be more cautious around my own men. Although, even with all this happening JJ himself hasn’t set foot in Russia. I don’t know what his plan is but I don’t think he knows what he is getting himself into. So, Ciel, with all this I think it’s best to not start expansion in Russia. I’m afraid it could cause the stalemate to end an you’d suffer for it. I’ll deal with what happens and we can talk when JJ is dealt with. Other than that I myself have been fine. Thank you for asking.”

    Viktor smiled at the others and took a sip of his coffee. Three of the four men have spoken. It wasn’t long before all eyes were on the last person, the most quiet of all. He took a sip of his tea, holding the cup in a strange manner.

“Guess it’s my turn then.” He placed the cup down and placed and elbow on the table, leaning to the right and resting his head on the palm of his hand. “Not much has happened for me I’m afraid. Business has been working as usual, a few more people getting under my command. There are of course the common issues of betrayal and gang wars but nothing to affect me directly or significantly. Those things have been dealt with accordingly. The only thing of interest I have to say is that recently some of my subordinates reported to me a rumor about the U.S. government searching for me, or at least, one of their divisions. It’s unclear which division and why, well, the rumor is they want to hire me for something.” He chuckled. “Amateurs I bet. I’m uninterested in working for those dirty politicians and what not. As far as I am concerned I run America so they can play king of the castle all they want. Anyway, Ciel, I have no issues so we can discuss some locations for you to set up shop and my profit cut. That’s all I have.”

“Then I suppose these matters of business are closed. Viktor, Levi, I was told you both brought someone new with you.” Ciel commented.

“Is that so?” Kaneki questioned. “Finally found someone I see.”

“Something like that.” Levi said.

“Well, we still have a few hours till dinner time, shall we move to the rec room. Our special guests are already waiting.”

“I hope they’re getting along.” Viktor said.

“I’m sure they are.” Levi added.

    The four men stood up. The small conversations starting up and grabbing their own things. They followed Ciel out as they went down to the rec room. Now things wouldn’t be necessarily business but just some down time for all of them.

♥ **♦♦** ♔ **♦♦** ♥

    The rec room itself was still a bit old school, for Ciel’s own comfort, it was his estate after all. The left wall from the door was lined with book shelves so one can enjoy reading. Across from the door was three window doors, leading out into the balcony, with a table and two chairs between each pair of doors. To the right was a large television, nearly the size of the wall with four couches around it. The couches were meant for the comfort of four people and a huge coffee table was in the center to accommodate everyone, including tables on the ends of the couches.

    Although, there was still Ciel’s favorite form of entertainment. In the center of the room was a pool table. Three couches surrounded it and a few comfortable chairs on either end, leaving a gap facing the door. Along the walls of the main entrance were long tables meant for placing food and drinks. The floor was a rather dark silver tile design and the walls an ivory white, the curtains matching the floor.

    Sebastian was preoccupied setting the tables with some light appetizers before dinner. He always seemed to enjoy these specific guests of his young master. Of course he did always find himself to enjoy the company of that french ghoul, Tsukiyama.

“I do have to say Sebastian you haven’t aged a day since I last saw you.”

“Your sense of humor is certainly refreshing at times, Tsukiyama.”

    Sebastian handed him a cup of coffee. The ghoul thanked him and took a sip. He dramatically swooned and leaned into Sebastian causing him to chuckle.

“Your coffee is one of the best. Such an exquisite taste, I wish I could have it everyday.”

“I do have you to thank. The young master is not pleased by coffee, but I must always do my best to accommodate all of his guests. Along with coffee I have also refined another culinary skill.”

“Have you know? Sebastian, now I cannot wait for dinner.”

“Patience my friend, I promise you a satisfying meal.”

“I have no doubt. Now more important matters.” Tsukiyama turned around. “Who are these two young gentlemen?”

    On the other side of the pool table two boys sat on the couch. Each had a drink in their hand and sat on opposite ends. Tsukiyama took a seat himself on the right couch, coffee in hand.

“Rather shy aren’t we, makes sense.”

“Pardon my manners.” Sebastian said and stepped forward. “I am Sebastian Michaelis, you may address me as Sebastian. I am the butler of this estate and am at your service. Would you all care to introduce yourselves?”

“Ah…” The boy with the glasses put his drink on the small table to his side. “My name is Yuuri Katsuki...I’m here with Viktor…”

“Pleasure to met you Mr. Katsuki.”

“You can just call me Yuuri.”

“As you wish.”

    Tsukiyama smiled and then looked at the other boy. He was quiet interested to meet a third person who wears an eyepatch, same side as Ciel. This boy did the same as Yuuri and glanced at everyone for a moment.

“My name is Eren...Eren Yeager, I’m here with Levi.”

“Ah, so you have caught his eye.” Tsukiyama teased. “I’m intrigued.”

“Tsukiyama, do not cause problems with the guests. You have yet to introduce myself.”

“Where are _my_ manners now. I am Shuu Tsukiyama, but you may call me Tsukiyama. I’m here with Kaneki.”

“Nice to meet you.” Yuuri said, forcing a smile.

    It was clear that Eren and Yuuri were rather nervous. They were new to the situation, mostly likely new to the life of those they have accompanied. There was another silence in the room and Tsukiyama kept staring, it was clear he wanted to smell them up close.

“Sebastian...are they special?”

“Pardon?”

“Are these two special, like us? Or something more…”

“Ah, well in that regard-”

    In an instant Sebastian was by the door opening it, gesturing for the four men to enter. He bowed his head to them and shut the door.

“Welcome to the rec room gentlemen. Appetizers and refreshments have been served. I am at your service.”

“You set up nicely Sebastian, and I am glad to see they have gotten along.” Ciel said, looking at the other three.

“Thank you my lord. Dinner will be served at six sharp.”

“I look forward to it.” Levi commented. “Sebastian has impressive cooking skills.”

“In the meantime shall we enjoy ourselves?”

“Will do Ciel.” Viktor said, patting his shoulder. “Will do.”


	2. Chapter 2

    The gentlemen settled into the room with their companions. Viktor had settled down where Yuuri had been, sitting on the edge with a drink in hand. Yuuri stayed by his side, leaning against him for comfort. His eyes had lit up with relief when he saw Viktor, glad to no longer be alone and in an awkward atmosphere.

On occasion Yuuri would glance back and out the windows that lined the wall. He had a very nice view of the sky from where he sat. Despite the conversation that had started he remained quiet, still feeling out of place. Viktor had no trouble with the others, but would keep his arm around Yuuri to assure him he didn’t have to worry.

To Viktor’s left was another couch, vertical to his own, where Levi sat with Eren. There relationship was different from the vanilla style of Viktor and Yuuri. Levi sat all the way on the other edge, closer to the door, with Eren on his lap. The young boy was surely red in the face but his face was hidden. Eren was kissing up and down Levi’s neck like a sort of pet.

No one said anything since they never did question another persons’ taste. If that was the relationship then everyone would accept it. Eren seemed eager enough, also glad when Levi came into the room. Levi on the other hand had his arm resting along the headrest of the couch and the other petting Eren. It was definitely a sight to see.

Ciel was seated on his own, across from Levi, with Sebastian standing behind him. He was the one who suggested a game of pool. His guests had expected it, though the others who had already been in the rec room passed on the chance to play. Sebastian kept to his duties of serving the others and making comments when he was asked to share his thoughts.

On Ciel’s left was the other couch surrounding the pool table. There Kaneki and Tsukiyama were seated. Both were on more equal standings with each other, but it was still clear who was in charge between them. Kaneki did have some experience with pool so he was more or less Ciel’s biggest competition.

As the game started so did the natural conversations. Viktor had started talking about an early dealing he had. Something along the lines of vodka, a plane, and no parachute. It was quiet amusing, causing everyone to laugh here and there.

“Where are my manners.” Ciel said after Viktor’s story. “We have two new guests with us and we have yet to be properly introduced. It would be best to do so before dinner.”

“Oh of course. It completely slipped my mind that Yuuri hasn’t introduced himself.” Viktor said.

At this point Eren was just resting his head against Levi. It was clear to see he was rather shy which was understandable. Viktor gently nudged Yuuri and he sat up, giving a weary smile to everyone around.

“I’m...Yuuri Katsuki. I’m here with Viktor.”

“And how long have you know Viktor?” Tsukiyama asked.

“Almost a year now...I think.”

“Nine months, three weeks, two days and forty-six minutes to be exact.” Viktor added with glee.

Yuuri’s face went red in that instant and he hid his face in his hands. A small chuckle was heard from Levi’s lips and everyone else took it well.

“I suppose that’s why we haven’t met him before. You found him a few months after our get together last year.” Sebastian said.

“Yup.”

“How did you meet him anyway?” Levi asked.

It was rather obvious the circumstances weren’t the best. Viktor was always very busy so going out and dating wasn’t something he’d have time for. To have someone like Yuuri around said that they met in a less than ideal way. Yuuri kept his head down, obviously not wanting to discuss things. Viktor pulled him close and kissed his head.

“Yuuri, I don’t like keeping secrets from my friends here. Is it okay to talk about it?”

The boy nodded slowly. The room was quiet and everyone was staring, or at least Yuuri felt as if they were. Viktor kissed his head again and pulled him closer, knowing the next topic of conversation would not be a pleasant one. Viktor’s cheerful mood suddenly became serious.

“A few weeks before I met Yuuri I was told by my underlings about some human trafficking in my territory. I deal in a lot of business but not that one. Once I heard the news I began an investigation. I wasn’t just gonna let this slide but destroy the organization entirely.”

“So that’s why you asked for more weapons. I was curious as to why you needed those supplies.” Levi commented.

“Yes that was the reason, and thank you for the assist.” Viktor said with a smile. “But it didn’t take me long to find their base of operations. It was a simple clean up job. Afterwards I pulled my resources together to help care for those who had been kidnapped and send them home. Yuuri, was a special case.”

“Special case you say?” Tsukiyama said with intrigue.

Viktor glared. “I research this group and apparently there are some people they deem as special or higher price. These people aren’t just kidnapped but their families are targeted so they have nothing and no one to fight for. I’m afraid my Yuuri here had no family to go home to.”

“My deepest apologies for your loss.”

Viktor could hear some quiet sobbing from Yuuri. He asked to be excused from the group and got up, taking Yuuri with him. Sebastian was kind enough to take the two to their room, where they’d be staying for the duration of their visit. It was always the same room but the courtesy was always appreciated.

Yuuri sat down on the bed, trying to stay silent with his tears. As if he was a lost child, Viktor took off his coat and wrapped it around the boy. He knelt down so he could look up at him, seeing the tears. He gently reached over to wipe them away.

“I’m sorry if I was too cold when I spoke. The matter was not something to be said with glee.”

“I...I know Viktor. It just hurts to think about it.”

“Do you wanna go back with the others? We can just stay here and watch some TV.”

“Can...can we go ice skating?”

Viktor smiled softly. “It’s already late, but we can go tomorrow. I promise.”

“Okay.”

Yuuri wiped away the last of his tears. He got up and went to the bathroom to clean himself up. His eyes were still red and puffy so he’d need a few minutes. Viktor stayed in the main room and sat on the bed waiting.

“We don’t have to go back to the rec room Yuuri. We can just stay here, they’d understand.”

“But-” Yuuri stepped out of the bathroom. “It would be rude and they’re your friends Viktor.”

“Yes and they’re also yours, you don’t have to be so scared. Weren’t you talking with that other boy. What was his name?”

“Eren. He hasn’t introduced himself to you guys. So I guess we should go back.”

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes. I’m okay as long as I am with you.”

“Alright.” Viktor stood up and grabbed Yuuri’s hand. “Let’s go, I don’t think we should keep the others waiting.”

Viktor lead Yuuri out. He had been to the estate before so he had a pretty good idea where to go. Ciel expected him to return every year for their meetings so he already had a room of his own. It was like having a home away from home.

When he got back to rec room everyone greeted him again, being nice enough to not bring up the previous topic. They sat back down where they were before. Kaneki went up to take his turn and made in the six but missed the seven. Levi went up and played around for a while before making in the seven and scratching.

“By the way.” Viktor said. “Yuuri brought to my attention that we haven’t met Eren yet.”

Levi looked at Viktor with an unamused expression. The shorter individual was rather more serious than Viktor, and more protective. Eren was shyly looking at the others. The eye patch might have given him more of a reason to be nervous but he wasn’t the only one in the room with one, strangely enough.

“I mean it’s only fair. He’s new and so is Yuuri.”

“It’s not a happy story either.” Levi said and looked to Eren. “Eren, you good?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. You all remember the titan experiments that happened in Germany twenty years ago. The information is in our database.”

“Yes I recall.” Ciel said. “It’s where you’re from. A result of these experiments.”

“Yes, and I was part of the operation to destroy that. All evidence, and data destroyed, at least that was the plan.”

“So I am assuming this information wasn’t entirely destroyed.” Kaneki said. “And Eren here is part of those experiments.”

“I was out on business in New York when my people there informed me of human experimentation going on. Once I was done with my business I looked into these claims. Apparently some information of the experiments had gotten to America before the German base was destroyed. Those experiments had been going on for a while before I got there.”

“If I remember correctly Levi.” Viktor added. “These titan experiments are supposed to create giant humanoid creatures, titans, to fight wars. The idea was to turn humans into these titans, soldiers to be exact, but none of these titans exhibited intelligence and couldn’t be controlled.”

“Exactly, that’s where my ODM gear comes from. Originally created for soldiers to use and take down the titans they couldn’t contain.”

“Thanks for the review Levi but what exactly does this have to do with Eren?” Tsukiyama asked.

“In New York the titan experiments continued and Eren here is their first and only success. He can shift into a titan and maintain his intelligence, being the perfect soldier they wanted. Only problem was they couldn’t replicate the results. So they just experimented on Eren to figure out what made him so special. I destroyed the base in New York and took him with me.”

“So Eren here is what these experiments wanted all along. Impressive.” Ciel commented. “And you’ve grown close since then. It’s nice to meet you Eren.”

    Eren’s situation was very different to Yuuri’s. Neither was worse but he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t cry, he rather got lost in thought. At some point during the conversation Levi had sat down next to him. He wasn’t really in the room. He didn’t need to hear about his own past but he couldn’t help but glance at Kaneki and Ciel.

“Why do you guys where an eyepatch?”

The question was out of Eren’s mouth before he could realise what he said. There was silence again and everyone was looking at him. He wasn’t the only one with an eye patch and he was just curious as to why the others had one on. Now he felt as if he crossed a line. 

“This information should have already been covered Levi.” Kaneki said, breaking the silence.

“Been rather busy.”

“I don’t mind.” Ciel said with a smile. “You can start Eren. Why do you wear an eyepatch?”

Eren swallowed. He definitely crossed a line and he thought he had gotten Levi in trouble. He glanced over at Levi, who nodded at him. He took a deep breath and reached behind his head to undo the knot. He took his eye patch off revealing that his right eye was a golden yellow.


	3. Chapter 3

“If I didn’t know any better I’d say you have heterochromia.” Viktor said. “That’s not the case is it?”

    Eren looked over at Levi again, hoping for help but he shook his head. This was his mess and he had to clean it up. He took a minute before looking up at the others.

“As Levi said before I can turn into a titan. Before I was part of those experiments I, and my eyes, were normal. It wasn’t until I was given these powers that my left eye became a golden color. The doctors said it represented my power.”

“So why do you cover it up?” Tsukiyama asked.

“When I lose control of myself, of my emotions, my golden eye begins to glow. I have yet to learn control so it’s safer to cover it up, for now. Although it’d probably be best if I keep the eyepatch on at all times, just to be safe.”

“You and I are very similar.” Kaneki said, removing his eyepatch. “I look rather normal too. Since I am a half ghoul my right eye gives away my true identity when I’m near my food source or have my kagune out. I can change it at will but sometimes it is beyond my control. Like you it is best to just wear an eyepatch at all times.”

Ciel chuckled. “I am surprised, you both have much different circumstances than I. Perhaps we should agree to not wear our eyepatches around each other, we are in company of friends, there’s no need to hide here.”

    Ciel removed his eyepatch. His right eye was far from human. His iris was completely red, with no pupil at all. Over the red color was a purple spiked pentagram with words around it. He smiled as he saw Eren’s reaction.

“I’ll keep my story brief, you can read about me later. Long ago I made a deal with a demon, my soul for his help in my revenge. Things went well but no plan is without complication. Long story short another brat made a deal involving me, specifically my soul. In the end Sebastian could only consume half my soul, the other half became a demon. Since my contract can never be fulfilled we are forever bound.”

“Indeed, I am forever to serve as a butler.” Sebastian added.

“You enjoy it so don’t seem so dull. Anyway, I’ll remain like this for eternity, unless I am killed, but even then that’s hard.”

“You’re...a demon.” Eren said.

“And from what I am told you are a titan so we’re both inhuman, even Kaneki here is a ghoul.”

“Half.” Kaneki corrected.

“Right, seems the three of us are all half something, fun right.”

“It might as well be said.” Levi spoke up. “The only human ones here are Viktor and Yuuri, the rest of us are inhuman.”

“It has its advantages.”

“True, but going back a bit. I forgot to mention before, but some of my ODM gear has recently been stolen. I don’t sell the gear and only those closest to me know how to maintain it and use it. The investigation led to the gear finding its way here.”

“You’re telling me some criminals in London have your gear?” Ciel asked.

“Yes, it should take me a few days to investigate and get my gear back, if it’s no trouble.”

“Not at all, yet the fact someone stole from you, and something rather important is amusing.”

“Well you know how it goes, you can’t always trust your men.”

“I am curious as to how your ODM gear works.” Viktor said.

“I do have some with me. Perhaps tomorrow I can show you, and Eren perhaps can show you what a titan looks like.”

“It sounds like an open demonstration.” Kaneki added. “I could stretch out my kagune.”

“So tomorrow should be a wonderful display of power.” Ciel joked.

“Young master?” Sebastian asked as he looked at his pocket watch. “I must excuse myself to prepare dinner.”

“Very well.”

    Sebastian bowed to the room and excused himself. Viktor got up to take his turn, aiming for the ten. The conversation shifted to everyday social life, a topic Ciel used to deeply loath. With the new long life, there was indeed much to talk about.

    An hour later Sebastian returned, dinner prepared and ready. Usually dinner would not be prepared so hastily but with special guests and Sebastians culinary skills, there was no need for lies. They all followed him to the dining hall.

    Ciel took his proper place at the end of the table. Kaneki, Eren, and Levi at his left, Tsukiyama Yuuri and Viktor to his right. The table had been set, and previous conversations continued before Sebastian came in with the drinks. He came with a cart, a multitude of bottles on display.

“For tonight’s dinner there is a variety of fine wines to chose from. For certain guest we have a bottle special bottle.” Sebastian grabbed a velvet red bottle and poured a red liquid into a glass for Kaneki and Tsukiyama. “It’s of the best quality.”

“I have no doubt Sebastian.” Kaneki said and took a sip. “Delightful.”

    The rest chose their drinks, Eren and Yuuri not really touching their glass. Just as Sebastian was about to head out to grab the main course when the doors to the dining hall opened. The maid, Mey-Rin, stepped in, shaking.

“Young master, I ap-”

    A gun went off. Mey-Rin suddenly had blood sliding down her face before she fell forward, revealing a well dressed man behind her with a gun. He walked into the room, gun aimed at Ciel, the others in the room remaining still. Although Eren and Yuuri were very nervous.

“Pardon the intrusion Lord Phantomhive. It seems I’ve interrupted dinner.”

“How unfortunate for you.”

    The man whistled and ten other men entered the room, five on each side. Eren hung his head, knowing his fear would be causing his eye to glow. Yuuri was lightly shaking, staying quiet. As the main guy looked around he noticed the others, most seemed annoyed.

“No eyepatch huh?

Ciel sighed. “I apologize to my guests. It seems we have some unexpected entertainment. So dinner will be delayed. Now, Mey-Rin, get up.”

    In the blink of an eye the maid was back on her feet, throwing her attacker out of the room. The doors closed and the room went quiet as screaming was heard. When it stopped the doors were opened. The maid stood in the entrance, blood decorating her clothes.

    It was then when one notice she wasn’t wearing her glasses. Around her left eye was a similar design of the sigil on Ciel’s eye. When her eye was closed the full design was visible, and it was clear the glasses she wore covered it up. The other guys with guns were no longer sure of what to do with.

“Sebastian, Mey-Rin, can you deal with the others.”

    The room went dark for a moment before the light returned. The men were gone as well as the two servants. Ciel quietly took a sip of his drink, the others only appearing slightly interested. The doors opened again and Sebastian walked in with dinner.

“Apologies for the interruption, the unexpected guests have been dealt with. The other servants shall deal with the clean up.”

“Very well, we can all get on with dinner.”

“Does this happen often?” Viktor asked with a smug grin.

“Occasionally, although they never learn. No one leaves my estate alive after such actions.”

“Obviously.” Tsukiyama commented.

    Dinner was served to all the guests. Levi mostly talking about recent travel and events, back home. Travelling was usually filled with business but it was nice to go around to just enjoy the trip. As everyone enjoyed dessert Levi brought up an event.

“I know we usually meet once a year, but I would like to invite you all to a party. A company under me, medical research, is debuting a new drug. It’s designed to speed up the healing process a bit, and I’ve decided to hold a two day party for it. Many other powerful people will be in attendance so I suppose the event would be good to make new business deals. This event will be held in Chicago, and you are all welcomed to stay at my estate.”

“Interesting, it sounds like fun.” Kaneki said. “So why two days?”

“First day is to talk about the new drug, it’s a pill, and the second to actually debut it. The pill works for two hours and increases the healing times ten. It’s had multiple testing and is ready for the market, although I don’t trust it out on the streets. So only those in the medical profession can distribute it.”

“It sounds like fun, right Yuuri?” Viktor said.

“Ye...yeah.”

“Count me in Levi.”

“I’ll do my best to attend.” Kaneki added.

“I’ll be there Levi, it sounds like a good business venture.” Ciel said.

“Alright, I’ll keep you all in the loop.”

“Bochan.” Sebastian said. “It is nearly eight.”

“Of course. Thank you all for joining me for dinner.”

    After dinner Ciel retired to his room, allowing the others to entertain themselves in the rec room for as long as they’d like. Sebastian prepared him for bed and tucked him in for the night before going to attend to the rest of the guests. Although, he checked in with the other servants first.

    The others stayed up for another game of pool and some conversation. The first to retire then were Viktor and Yuuri. It was around nine when they left the room. Yuuri took a shower and went to bed as Viktor stayed looking something up on the computer. He joined Yuuri in bed a few minutes later.

    After Viktor left it wasn’t long before the others retired to, finishing their own game. Eren quickly fell asleep, wanting to put the night’s events behind him. Levi made some calls to check on things back home before settling into bed.

    Kaneki on the other hand stayed up for longer than all. He had a call with Touka who reported that thing’s haven’t gotten worse but not better either. With that he decided that he would have to go home tomorrow. Everyone else was in bed as Tsukiyama confirmed. Before going to bed he made preparations for a noon flight.

“It’s getting late my king, perhaps it’s time to rest.”

“Yeah. There’s a lot going on, I wish I could stay longer.”

“What of the party Levi is hosting?”

“It would be good for business, profits would increase. I don’t know if we have the time, but do keep that party as priority, unless something happens.”

“Understood, my king.”

“Good, now let’s get some rest.”


	4. Chapter 4

    The next morning Sebastian woke everyone for breakfast. It was only after he awoke the others did he attend to his young master, waking him with morning tea. Ciel groaned as the curtains were opened and yanked the blanket over his head.

“Five more minutes Sebastian.”

“Under different circumstances I could perhaps allow such a thing, but my lord, you have guests.”

“Right, of course.”

    Sebastian leaned over the bed and pulled the blanket back only to discover the absence of his young master. He chuckled and dropped the blanket, looking around the room.

“Quiet early to be practicing my lord. If you have such energy this early, perhaps I should move your lessons earlier in the day.”

“Don’t be funny Sebastian.” Ciel said, now sitting on the edge of the bed, back to the windows. “I merely wanted you to find me, quiet disappointing I’m afraid.”

“Is that what you wanted?”

“We have guests so we don’t have time for-”

    Ciel was suddenly wrapped up in a blanket, trapped, as Sebastian tickled him. Laughter erupted from his mouth and filled the room.

“Enough! Sebastian! Stop!” Ciel said through breaths.

    Sebastian let up and stepped back. He poured Ciel a cup of tea as Ciel worked to fix his hair and catch his breath.

“How are the guests this morning?”

“I’ve woken all so they must be preparing for the day.”

“Yesterday’s dinner-”

“My apologies for letting our uninvited guests interrupt.”

“Don’t apologies. It happens when fools think they can act against me. They’ve all been dealt with?” Ciel asked.

“Of course.”

“Did the servants eat?”

“They helped themselves. Bocchan, are you hungry?”

“No, I’m alright.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes Sebastian, I’m fine. Have you prepared breakfast?”

“In a moment, any requests.”

“Toast.”

“Very well.”

    After tea Sebastian dressed Ciel, properly fixing his hair and grabbing the eye patch.

“No, I said I wouldn’t wear it when with them. There’s no need to hide what they already know.”

“Understood. Today your schedule is rather clear, the only thing of importance to do is tend to the guests.”

“Sounds like a wonderful time.”

“Good, I’ll be off to prepare, the others should be in the dining hall as well.”

“Thank you Sebastian.”

    Sebastian bowed and stepped out of the room. Ciel finished his tea and grabbed his cane. He made his way out of the room and towards the dinning hall. Another day had begun.

♥ **♦♦** ♔ **♦♦** ♥

    Viktor was the one to answer the door when Sebastian knocked. It was eight in the morning, earlier than what he was used to. Yuuri groaned and rolled over in bed, sitting up.

“What time is it Viktor?” Yuuri asked as he rubbed sleep from his eyes.

“Eight. Breakfast will be served in a bit. How are you feeling?”

“Okay. I forgot for a second we weren’t in Russia.”

“Yeah, it’s not so cold here. Anyway we should get ready, don’t wanna keep the others waiting.”

“I know.”

    Viktor opened the curtains to let in some light. He grabbed some ointments and went over to Yuuri. It was a routine for him to tend to Yuuri in the morning before he got into any of his activities. He gently rubbed the ointment into Yuuri’s leg, being gentle to not cause him stress.

    This activities usually felt embarrassing so Yuuri tended to look away. He appreciated Viktor’s care but wondered how he could ever repay him. He felt like a child most of the time. Although sometimes he found it ridiculous to be travelling with Viktor, especially now.

    Being in London was one thing, but being on some secret Bratva things was another. Yuuri was being introduced to some very powerful people and the thoughts drove him crazy. Did he mean so much to Viktor that he trusts him to know these things. His life had changed so fast, perhaps anything was possible.

“Oh, before I forget, I rented out a skating rink here in London for later. We can go after lunch.”

“Thanks Vitya.”

♥ **♦♦** ♔ **♦♦** ♥

    Levi had already been awake for an hour before Sebastian came by. He gently shook Eren awake. He had pants on and stepped out onto the balcony letting the sun hit his chest. Eren groaned awake, hiding under the covers from the sun.

“Levi...it’s real early.”

“It’s eight Eren. Come on, get up, breakfast will be ready soon.”

    Eren groaned but got up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He looked over at Levi, squinting his eyes. He got out of bed and went into the bathroom. He splashed water on his face. It was earlier than he was used to but he followed his usual routine. He got into the shower, taking a quick one and drying off.

“Levi, shower.”

    Levi nodded and went in after him. They had gotten into a rhythm together, well more like their own routine. It’s not something normal to be done but it was Levi’s idea. Eren previously lifestyle wasn’t ideal in the slightest, so Levi wanted him to feel more normal, and adjust to a normal life.

    Of course Levi’s life wasn’t normal, but he could do his best to make Eren feel normal. In truth the eyepatch ruined the aesthetic sometimes. If it didn’t have the tendency to glow the heterochromia would be a little less obvious. Levi figured maybe one day the eye patch could be removed, but in truth he didn’t want that to happen.

    He enjoyed being the only one to see Eren’s golden eye. It was very beautiful, his eyes were so beautiful and the different colors were marvelous. Heterochromia wasn’t common so to have someone like that to himself. It was like he had some rare treasure. After his shower the two dressed and brushed their teeth.

“How do you feel this morning Eren?” Levi asked.

“I’m ok. It was kind of weird to sleep in a different bed and wake up in a different place. I panicked for a bit.”

“Do you feel uneasy here?”

“No, last night though, I was scared.”

“I know, and I can’t say that was a rare occurrence. It happens all the time in my line of work.”

    Eren sat on the bed as he put on his shoes. As he was bent down his necklace slipped out from under his shirt. He kept a golden key on him always. As he sat up he grabbed it and stared at it.

    When he was...imprisoned he was kept in a cage like an animal. He was in a white room, and often found himself staring at the walls. He only ever saw something different when they came for him, and each time his eyes were drawn to the golden key they pulled out.

    It was the same key he held in his hand now, the key that opened his cage. When he was rescued Levi gave him the key. At first he didn’t want it, but Levi convinced him to keep it. From there on he kept it on him, and looked at it when he needed to calm himself. Suddenly, Levi’s hand was under his and he was kneeling in front of him.

“Do you remember why I gave you the key?”

“To remind me that I’m free, that I am always free. I hold the key and I will never be chained again.”

Levi smiled. “Good, now let’s go eat.”

“Right behind you Heichou.”

♥ **♦♦** ♔ **♦♦** ♥

    Kaneki and Tsukiyama were very light sleepers. Their work was rather different and they had gotten used to little sleep. Tsuki greeted Sebastian in the morning and thanked him for the wake up call. At the time Kaneki was out on his own balcony, speaking with Touka of the situation back home.

“I’ll be getting on a flight in a few hours and heading back. I know it might not have been best to leave but I didn’t want to miss this. It’s a tradition.” Kaneki laughed. “I know, I know, but I’ll be getting back soon. Till then the queen is in charge, don’t break anything Touka, bye.”

“Queen huh? You don’t call her that unless you are worried.”

“Tsuki I call her that all the time. Besides, most of the other ghouls know her as their queen too.”

“Interesting title, and yet the king and queen have no relation.”

“It’s a partnership. I trust her to run things when I’m gone.”

“And what of me.”

“I like keeping you close.”

    Kaneki’s kagune appeared and a limb wrapped around Tsukiyama, pulling him close for a kiss. His kagune vanished and he pulled away with a grin.

“You stay at my side, besides, going on long trips gets boring and I need entertainment.”

“You wound me.”

“And you’re good company. So what’s the plan for today?”

“Well after breakfast Levi spoke of a demonstration of Eren’s abilities, presumably this will happen in the courtyard.”

“And what’s your opinion on us showing our kagune?”

“We do have two new...members present today so it wouldn’t hurt to educate them.”

“Alright, don’t break anything though.”

“I will try my best.”

“And after that?”

“After that they’ll be some tea and by then we should head out. Before noon we should be in the air.”

    Kaneki had been getting dressed, with Tsuki’s help as he explained the day’s events. He followed along and thought about how it would all go down but soon his thoughts drifted off to home.

“How long is the flight home?” Kaneki asked.

“It’s around twelve in a half hours. Another day won’t be so troublesome without you.”

“I do hope you’re right. We should go join up the others. I as well enjoy Sebastian’s cooking, maybe you should learn from him.”

“I’ll look into it, King.”

♥ **♦♦** ♔ **♦♦** ♥

    Everyone gathered in the dining hall for breakfast. There was some light conversation, speaking of last nights events with a humorous tone. Both Eren and Yuuri seemed more comfortable around the others, partaking in the conversation.

    As Tsukiyama had said, after breakfast everyone moved to the back court yard. Levi disappeared with Eren for a bit before returning wearing some rather heavy looking equipment. He didn’t seem at all strained, in fact he looked more comfortable than before. Although everyone’s attention quickly shifted to the black cat who broke the silence.

“Sebastian you let Rose out.” Ciel stated and picked up the cat, gently petting its head as it purred. “I guess she’s looking for second breakfast.”

“Well she won’t get any, I shall return momentarily.”

Sebastian took the cat from Ciel, cuddling it, and went inside. Ciel gently brushed off the cat hairs on his clothes.

“If I am correct that is ODM gear.” Viktor said.

“You are.” Levi said. “And at least two of these are somewhere in your city Ciel.”

“Yes, you mentioned this yesterday, and you said it was very hard to maneuver, so there isn’t much danger. Although why are you wearing it?”

“In case Eren feels like shifting into a titan.”

“Right…” Eren mumbled. “Are you sure it’s safe?”

“My estate is far from the city, and any of the towns people won’t really question what happens here.”

“Ok...are you sure Levi?”

“You don’t have to Eren, but I’m prepared if anything goes wrong.”

“Alright.”

    Eren took a deep breath and walked further away from the others. Everyone was silent, patiently waiting when suddenly a streak of lightning came down and there was a titan before them. They all looked up in amazement.

“So he can grow?” Kaneki asked.

“Not exactly. He creates this outer shell around himself which takes on a humanoid shape. Eren himself is in the neck area.”

    Levi ran forward and shot up with his gear, swinging around Eren and getting up to his shoulder. The titan moved closer to the others by a step or two and knelt down. Everyone got a closer look at his face.

“Can he talk?” Ciel asked.

“No.” Levi said as he jumped down. “His mouth isn’t constructed in a way to speak. In this state he’s incredibly strong. Those who created these titan experiments basically wanted to rule the world.”

“I understand that. A handful, or less, of these titans, would be unstoppable.”

“That’s debatable.” Kaneki said. “Other supernatural beings exist. Could a titan kill you Ciel? And I’m half ghoul, I can move the same way your ODM gear does Levi. I can avoid hits.”

Levi smirked and jumped off of Eren. “I have been meaning to ask if I can upgrade my swords so they’re made of a ghoul’s kakuhou.”

“I don’t doubt you’ve already done so.”

    Kaneki took off his jacket and handed it to Tsuki. Most of his shirts didn’t cover his entire back, leaving out some room for his kagune. He brought out his rinkaku, stretching out his limbs, aiming them at Levi.

“Well do I have your consent?” Levi asked.

“Absolutely, your ODM gear doesn’t exist in bulk. So how about you show me what you can do?”

“I’d be happy to.”

    Levi pulled out his swords, getting in a fighting stance. Eren screamed into the sky, causing a distraction and Levi made his move. Kaneki quickly caught on, dodging the attack and making his own move. The others watched on during the fight, Eren keeping his distance as well.

    It was clear both were relatively evenly matched. And when the fight came to an end it was a stalemate. Kaneki had broken three or Levi’s swords and there were a handful of times Levi cut Kaneki’s rinkaku.

    Eren himself didn’t do much. He merely transformed into a titan and looked on at the others. In truth his titan form had little need in the world, but he had power with it. He was stronger than the average person, not on Levi’s level but maybe one day. He had an advantage and he swore he’d use it to benefit Levi, to pay him back for saving his life. A debt he’ll pay with his own life.

    He was also amazed to see Levi fighting, as well as see a ghoul in action. He had only heard of them but was rather fortune not have seen a real one, or at least a dangerous one. Eren hoped one day he could make Levi proud, but for now he still had a long way to go.

    Throughout all these demonstrations Yuuri looked on with awe. He had heard of ghouls before but had never seen one before. He was captivated by its power. How Kaneki moved, and Levi’s own skills made the fight all the more interesting. Then of course there was Eren. He was a giant, a titan to be exact, but it was so amazing.

“I think people like you with the ODM gear would be better investigators.” Kaneki said as his rinkaku dissolved behind him.

“Maybe, but this gear has no place in the open market.” Eren screamed again. “Excuse me.”

    Levi ran back and shot up over to Eren. Heat began to radiate off of his causing some steam to emit from the titan body. Levi swung around and made some precise cuts into the titan’s neck, gently getting Eren out of the titan body. In a matter of moments he was back with the others with Eren in hand. The marks under his eyes becoming visible to all.

“I should have mentioned the titan body itself dissolves when the host is removed.”

“Don’t worry about it, Sebastian can deal with the clean up.”

“Of course my Lord.” Sebastian bowed.

“As for the rest of us we should all cool down, it’s getting close to tea time.”

“Pardon my King, but it seems your plane has been prepared early.” Tsuki said, having received a message during the fight. “What do you wish to do?”

Ciel looked back at Kaneki. “Don’t worry, I am aware of the issues you have at home Kaneki, you are welcomed to leave early.”

“Thank you Ciel.”

    Kaneki and Tsukiyama excuse themselves from the others, promising to keep in contact. They all saw the two off and gathered for tea. From there it became clear they all had different ideas for how to spend the rest of their day. Business was business so after tea they all left the estate, off into the city of London.


	5. Chapter 5

    Levi, despite warning Ciel, figured he should deal with the situation personally. It was his gear that was stolen after all. His people back home had already been investigating the situation so he had a few leads he could follow in London. He waited a while, letting Eren recover before heading out into the city.

    Ciel had a sudden mandatory meeting pop into his schedule. It annoyed him to a new level but the situation couldn’t be avoided. He gathered what he needed and went out with Sebastian. He intended to be civilized but he was prepared for things to go south, he really wanted them to, but for now he had to be patient.

    Viktor had promised to take Yuuri out to ice skate. It was still a few hours till he had the ice rink so he figured that perhaps he and Yuuri could do some sight seeing. He didn’t want Yuuri to strain himself before getting on the ice so he got him a wheelchair. It wasn’t a common thing for Yuuri to use but Viktor wanted him to make the most of his time later. Besides, he could easily deal with rude people.

♥ **♦♦** ♔ **♦♦** ♥

    Hours later Levi was at a warehouse near the docks. His clothes were splattered with blood, his hands soaking in it, bodies everywhere. He managed to track down his equipment, looking into the back of a truck and opening a crate.

“They wouldn’t even be able to use this stuff.” Levi shut the crate. “Eren.”

“Levi…”

    Levi walked over and found Eren on his knees. Two bodies at his side and he was drenched in blood. His eyes were wide and he was shaking a bit. Levi walked over and pulled out a handkerchief, gently wiping his face.

“You did good. You didn’t shift despite what was going on.”

“What...what if I did…”

“I would have taken care of you. What matters is you stayed in control.”

“I...I…”

“It’s okay, let’s just get you cleaned up and get this stuff back home.”

    Eren nodded his head, going with Levi outside and by the water to clean up. It was already dark out so there wasn’t much danger in being spotted. They both cleaned up and Levi made some calls, getting the crates sent back to his place.

“Problem solved, I guess we should call it a night.”

    Levi stood by the edge of the docks, looking at the cold dark water. Eren sat at the edge, his legs dangling above the water. He liked the environment, it was calming, and the breeze was nice. Levi looked at Eren and sat down.

“Are you okay, really okay? You don’t have to lie to me.”

“This is what you do, right?”

“Well, it’s complicated. I still have a lot to teach you. Eren, do you want out?”

“Out?”

“I know I...helped you, but that doesn’t mean you owe me anything. If you want, I can set you up somewhere nice where you’ll be safe.”

“No. If I hide away I won’t ever learn to use my power, and...I wanna do good with them.”

“I think I need to teach you what’s right and wrong since-”

“I don’t….I don’t fully understand your work yet, but I know what you’re doing is good. I was treated...badly, you treat...you do good things for people. I wanna do good with my life.”

“Okay, we’ll keep up with training and make sure you are in full control of your power.”

Eren leaned against Levi. “Thank you, for everything.”

“No problem, let’s get back.”

♥ **♦♦** ♔ **♦♦** ♥

    Ciel hated being called somewhere. If he wasn’t calling the shots then he’d gladly remove who was and take their place. Yet, the call had an ultimatum and he felt inclined to humor himself. The meeting was taking place in a restaurant, asian food, owned by Henry Devir, the person he was meeting with.

    Henry has a large corporation that did business dealings with the Funtom company up front and with Ciel in the back. They were loyal and good business but a recent agreement had yet to be settled between the two. There wasn’t really much to be discussed, but things needed to come to an end.

    Ciel walked into the restaurant, taking a whiff of the air. It was a nice scent, although he rarely ate anything that Sebastian didn’t cook. He spoke with a waitress and was taken to the back. A table was already set, Henry seated, Ciel stood with Sebastian behind him.

“I’m not here because you demanded it. Humor me Henry, what is so bloody important.”

“Sit, let us enjoy a meal and talk.”

“I am not hungry Devir. You wanted to discuss business, I do not see what there is to be discussed, so do enlighten me.”

“You are a man of few words.”

“And I hate wasting time.”

Henry took a drink and leaned back in his chair. “You owe me money.”

“Do I now? You are certainly amusing me. Do tell, how exactly do I owe you money?”

“Our last deal. I held up my end, you didn’t hold up yours.”

“Oh, you’re talking about our previous arrangement. The deal was I’d help you and you could help me with a business dealing. You were to speak on my behalf and follow my instructions to the letter. I did not want casualties and even then INNOCENT lives were lost. You are lucky I even paid you a dime.” Ciel took a deep breath to calm himself.

“You paid me ten percent of our originally agreement.”

“And you are unsatisfied?”

“Very.”

“If you think you can get the rest I’m afraid we’re done here. Sebastian I want my ten percent back from Devir and our partnership has come to an end.”

    Ciel turned around and walked out, ignoring the yells behind him. In this world he was beneath no one. There were only a handful of those who he could see as equals, he had dinner with them the other night. When he was back in the car he was quiet, staring out the window.

“Bocchan.”

“Yes, Sebastian?”

“You made a contract with Henry Devir upon creating your partnership. This violation of the contract comes from him, therefore there is more to collect than money.”

“I am well aware of this contract.” Ciel sighed. “I want everything collected within the month, and I do mean everything.”

Sebastian smiled. “Of course Bocchan. By the end of this month this contract will be fully closed.”

“Thank you.”

♥ **♦♦** ♔ **♦♦** ♥

    Work always kept Viktor from vacation. With what he did that was to be expected but with Yuuri he had reason to want to go out and enjoy what the world has to offer. London was a marvelous place. There was so much to see and lots of great food to enjoy.

    Yuuri enjoyed the time with Viktor, but when he thought no one was looking he looked down at the wheelchair. He wasn’t physically trapped but he felt like it. He could walk but only so far. Whenever his eyes met Viktor’s he smiled, he didn’t want him to be sad. It was a nice day after all.

    Around one in the afternoon, the two found a place for lunch. Viktor had the rink at three so they could kill some time with lunch and chatter. The food was delicious, and the two talked about what they did. The time passed by and Yuuri forgot about his other troubles. When it calmed down Viktor reached over and took his hand.

“Yuuri, you don’t have to pretend for me.”

“I don’t-”

“If you wanted to go home, whether it be the Phantomhive estate, or back to Moscow, you could have said so.”

“Viktor...I don’t...understand why you bring me...anywhere. I shouldn’t be near these kind of people.”

“Are you afraid?”

“I don’t know if I should be.”

“Yuuri, I want to look after you, and I don’t want secrets. I...I should have asked you if you were okay with this, I took many choices out of your hand.”

“Would I not be...a target? A weakness for you?”

“You? Never. Yuuri...if you don’t want this, tell me. I can get you better life, a new, better, beginning.”

“Viktor…” Yuuri felt tears. “I...I...I can’t...I don’t have anything, and these past months you’ve been so kind. I want to stay with you I just...I hate myself...I’m weak and...and a danger-”

“Don’t think like that Yuuri. You aren’t a burden to me, you’re a blessing. I won’t let anything happen to you, ever.”

Yuuri looked up at Viktor. “I’m sorry...we...I shouldn’t be acting like this.”

“It’s not your fault.” Viktor gently wiped away some tears. “I brought this up. I shouldn’t have.”

“Viktor-”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. I think it’s about time you get on the ice, I know it helps calm you, let’s get going shall we?”

“Yeah.”

♥ **♦♦** ♔ **♦♦** ♥

    It was still early when Viktor and Yuuri got to the ice rink. Other people were skating and they sat off to the side. Viktor wanted to make sure Yuuri had the entire rink to himself. It would be a lot better for him.

    When the rink was clearing out Viktor helped Yuuri get into his skates. He’d done it many times before so he knew how they should go. He helped Yuuri onto the ice and watched him. That’s what he enjoyed most of the time, seeing Yuuri happy on the ice.

    After a bit the two started talking. It was simple things, nothing too serious, Viktor rather wait till they were home to discuss other matters. A few hours later Sebastian and Ciel arrived. They had previously agreed to meet up there.

“Ciel, Sebastian, glad you could make it.”

“Glad to be here. I was told you were here earlier than expected.”

“Spying on me now?”

“No, but you’re an important person in my territory, I want you safe.”

“Then where is Levi?”

“He and Eren are dealing with some matters of their own, I believe they are currently down by the docks.”

“I see, well are you gonna get some skates?”

“I don’t think so.” Ciel sat down. “I’m not good at it.”

“You never know until you try.”

    The three sat together and discussed minor business dealings while Yuuri skated. He was in his own world when on the ice. It felt like nothing had changed. As if after he was done he’d go back home but that wasn’t true. He closed his eyes and let himself get lost.

    He was on the ice everyday, making up routines no one would ever see, except Viktor. At this point anytime he skated it was for Viktor and no one else, no one else would watch. When his eyes went over to the stands he could see Ciel and Sebastian, he wasn’t sure how to feel. They weren’t complete strangers but he didn’t know what they thought of his skating.

    He felt a bit nervous with new eyes watching him. Then again they were talking so maybe they weren’t watching him. He shook his head and focused back on the ice. His time was limited after all, he had to make the most of it.

“Viktor, might I ask you a question.” Sebastian said. “It’s rather personal.”

“It’s alright. What do you wish to know?”

“It is very clear Yuuri has incredible talent. Have you ever thought about letting him compete?”

“Wouldn’t it only make him a target to Viktor’s enemies?” Ciel added.

“It’s more than that.” Viktor pulled out his phone and unlocked the screen, looking down at a timer with a little over an hour left on it. “Yuuri’s...physical limitations...on average he can skate for six hours. No pressure or need to exert himself too much.”

“In competition, it’s the opposite.”

“Exactly. I don’t want to put Yuuri through that, or make him a target. If he ever asks though, I’m inclined to grant him his wish.”

“I am here for you Viktor, and Yuuri, whatever you need.”

“Thank you.”

    Around eleven the rink was closing up. Viktor helped Yuuri out of the skates and back to the wheelchair. Sebastian had called for a ride to get them all home. At this point Ciel had already gone to sleep, so Sebastian wrapped him up in his coat and carried him. They waited in the lobby for their ride.

“Asleep already?” Yuuri questioned, noticing a sleeping Ciel in Sebastian’s arms. “It’s not that late is it?”

“It’s a rather strange thing. Ever since...he changed, around ten he falls asleep, regardless of what he is doing. He won’t wake, no matter what you do, believe me, I have tried. He wakes up at eight sharp every morning. We both don’t know why but I suppose it makes sense he’d still need some sleep unlike myself.”

    A small limo pulled up outside the rink and Baldroy stepped out. He was dressed in a suit and as the others stepped outside he opened the door to the car.

“It’s rather late to be out, especially since the young master is sleeping.”

“I can take care of him, besides you know how it is, time is just a human creation.”

“Rather insulting.” Viktor said as he helped Yuuri into the limo. “But coming from you I understand.”

“Pardon my rudeness Viktor.”

“No need, let’s just get back to the manor.”

“Indeed. That reminds me, Baldroy, when did Levi and Eren return to the manor?”

“Three hours ago.”

“Are they still awake?”

“Yes, I prepared them something, and they’ve been in their room since they arrived.”

“Is anything off?”

“Not that I’m aware of, the only thing of interest is that they both returned with a faint smell of blood.”

“That’s none of our business, so all is well. Let’s go home.”


	6. Chapter 6

    In the morning everyone gathered around for breakfast. Afterwards Ciel saw them all off, having one of his servants escort each to the airport. The rest of the morning should have been free for Ciel but Sebastian made him continue his studies. He had put it off for two days because of his guests but now they were gone.

    Ciel was rather annoyed but despite his age there was still a lot he needed to study. The world kept advancing so learning for him never stopped. It had become easier but he needed to know more details. Then of course amongst his studies he needed to keep up with his company’s business.

    Sebastian was a man of precision. Time maybe be a luxury they had but not one they liked to waste. Since all the guests were gone early in the morning, Sebastian had set up a meeting at the Funtom company to discuss holiday themed toys before lunch. Ciel really hated going out to such public places, but it was an enjoyable game.

    In order to maintain the company under the Phantomhive name past Ciel’s own life expectancy he needed an heir. Of course he could never truly make one, and his relationship with Elizabeth was complex. In the end he found his way, but it involved changing his public appearance. Every so often there was a new face that bore the Phantomhive name, male or female, Ciel had learned to play both.

    Sebastian brought around the car, something small with tinted windows. He lived to see cars lose their sense or originality and style, things nowadays were rather boring and plain for Ciel’s taste. Nonetheless he had to fit in.

    When he got into the car he changed form. He was no longer Ciel, but Daniel Phantomhive. He was taller, around five feet seven inches, his brown hair combed back, green eyes that match the summer leaves and the softest smile in all of Europe. He was well respected in society and his company, it was a family responsibility after all.

    Driving the car was Robert, the Phantomhive body guard that had served for nearly forty years. An inch taller than Daniel himself, short blond hair and blue eyes, a strong build and never seen without a dark pair of sunglasses on. Despite being able to change physical appearances both needed to do a bit more to appear normal.

    Ciel had no control over his contract seal, so public appearances as Daniel required him to wear contacts, at least he could use both eyes. As for Sebastian, he tended to put on a bit of fake skin over his contract seal, a bodyguard wearing gloves was far too strange. Besides, if every Phantomhive wore an eyepatch it’d be far too suspicious. It honestly took a few months for Ciel to be comfortable with contacts, made him appreciate the eyepatch all the more.

    When they arrived at the Funtom company people were already waiting. If one thing stuck with the Phantomhive name it was privacy. Ciel did his best to avoid being out in public as much as possible. So when he stepped out lights began flashing, people calling his name and shouting questions. Nothing scandalous, he was a careful man after all.

    Robert handed the keys to the car to a valet driver and lead his guard inside. Other company employees greeted him and he returned the kindness. He didn’t hate humans, he was intrigued to see them through Sebastian’s eyes, but humans were known to lie. He couldn’t trust that every person in the company actually like him. Especially not those who sat with him in the meeting.

    Years ago he discovered some chairmen at his company wanted him and his name out of the company. The plot amused him, he let it go on but in the end those people were removed. It was his company, forever, and he would lead it forward. It’d be disappointing if no one tried to kick him out in the future.

    Daniel spoke about the design and themes for the holiday toys, but of course there was more to the meeting. It was no secret that Funtom company toys were desired all around the globe. Overseas orders were a thing but with such demand the best option was to expand. Of course he knew how troublesome such actions can be and assured the board he would handle foreign affairs.

    The meeting ended a quarter past noon. A few board members left with the usual annoyed look, never gets old, the faces just change. Since he was done with the meeting he had plans to go home for lunch and then continue his studies but he was approached by an employee.

    His name was Anthony, he worked in the marketing department, and offered to take Daniel out to lunch. It was a surprising offer, but he still accepted. Robert drove them both into the city and Daniel chose a nice small family restaurant. He was picky on food if Sebastian didn’t make it but there were a few places he liked. He had taken time long ago to find some place for such occasions.

    It was no surprise that Anthony wanted to talk about the company. The discussion was about the overseas expansion. Setting up shop in cities was the most obvious choice but Anthony took it a step further, having researched some international cities and the best place to open stores. Even going a bit further and finding the best locations in more urban areas.

    He was impressive, but most of all clever. Anthony was very grateful to speak to Daniel, since most company CEO’s wouldn’t even care to speak with some lower level employees. Lucky for him, all Phantomhive’s were kind. In the end Daniel did insist on paying the bill and thanking Anthony for the company. He drove him back to the company and said his goodbyes.

“What did you think of that lunch date?”

“Oh please Sebastian, everyone knows Daniel Phantomhive has a fiance.” Ciel said as he took out his contacts. “But I was impressed, most people don’t have the guts to approach a CEO.”

“And what of his strategy for overseas expansion?”

“Genius really, he put in a lot of work, unnecessary work actually. My only concern is he really thought of everything. Such an expansion would be noticed by the American mafia, that was really his only concern on the matter.”

“Clever indeed, what shall be done with him?”

“Promotion. His ideas are good for the company and he needs to be kept under watch. I don’t need to hear about him meddling with organized crime. This is effective immediately. I want him in the next board meeting.”

“Understood. I shall make some calls tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Ciel put his eyepatch on, returning to his normal self. “Oh right, we have late night business to attend to.”

“Indeed. We’re making our way over to the docks, should be right on time to meet with your subordinates.”

“I do look forward to their report.”

    As expected, his subordinates told him of the slaughter that took place the other night. Levi and Eren had found what was stolen from them and killed those responsible. Despite his subordinates complains all Ciel felt was anger.

“Those men, got what they deserved.”

“What? But boss, they killed your men, the mafia did!”

“In case you forgot, I am good friends with the mafia. They came to me with the news about their stolen equipment and I let then roam free.”

“They were doing this for you.”

“Were they? How long was the equipment here? Why didn’t they inform me on the matter! If this was meant to be a surprise it’s stupid. I have no use for the equipment used by the mafia and those men went behind my back!” Ciel took a moment to calm himself. “The matter is resolved. The mafia got their equipment back and all those responsible are dealt with. I don’t want to hear more of this, do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir.” They all responded.

“Good. Now, when will the gun dealer arrive?”

“In half an hour, sir.”

“Then I don’t need to wait long. You're all dismissed, and get the clean up crew here in an hour.”

    The men left, the warehouse empty besides Ciel and Sebastian. He had no real interest in purchasing guns but getting them off the market. The meeting was already set up so all Ciel had to do was wait. While waiting a phone rang.

    Sebastian reached into his coat and answered before handing the phone to Ciel. If there is one thing he appreciated from the present was its technological advances. Being able to reach someone instantly with a phone was much faster than writing a letter. He took the phone and went off to speak in private.

    A moment later a few cars and a truck came to the warehouse. They were the gun salesmen and Sebastian let them in. Of course the man had security so there were a lot of men to keep an eye on. Sebastian merely smiled, telling the men where to set up, removing his coat and setting it down off to the side.

“So Mr. Phantomhive.”

Sebastian chuckled. “I’m afraid you are mistaken, Mr. Phantomhive will be with us shortly.”

“That better not be a joke.”

    The warehouse was mostly dark, the only area illuminated was where the sale was taking place. Ciel knew Jonathan Morris was well known for supplying anyone with arms as long as they could pay. He couldn’t allow such a person to continue to exist, at least not anymore.

    Ciel stepped into the light, a wicked grin on his face. He enjoyed the faces his enemies made when they saw him for the first time. It was honestly one of the only times he could be his original self. He was dressed in clothes from his time, eyepatch included, and the image of a child.

    Jonathan was speechless. He had heard of Phantomhive being young but he never thought that meant he looked like a child. Of course this might not be the real Phantomhive but there was no point in trying anything as long as the sale went smoothly, so he smiled.

“You must be Mr. Phantomhive then.”

“I am, pleasure to meet you Jonathan Morris.” Ciel stepped forward and held his hand out. “I’ve heard much about you.”

“As have I.” He shook the boy’s hand. “Although I must ask, why have you contacted me? Surely a man with your status can easily acquire arms of any nature.”

“I am a businessman. I prefer it when my work is beneficial to more than just myself.”

“I see, well I cannot guarantee that I currently have high military grade weapons with me, but I can get you some if necessary.”

“I’m sure you can.”

    Jonathan stepped away, going over to the truck and grabbing a pistol. Ciel let his smile fade a bit, this matter was going to end soon anyway, he could do away with pleasantries. But the smile remained for what came next, after all, Ciel and Sebastian still had their game to play, the stage was just bigger.

“So, Mr. Phantomhive, forgive me for looking, but I noticed you carry a pistol at your side.”

“I do, surely you understand the need for personal protection.”

“Indeed, which is why I wish to show you this.” He handed Ciel the pistol. “It’s much lighter, should make it easier to aim.”

    Ciel pointed the pistol at Jonathan. All his men soon turned their guns on Ciel, protecting their boss. Ciel merely grinned.

“You are correct, it does feel lighter.” He lowered the gun and handed it back. “I apologize for startling your men.”

Jonathan had his men lower their weapons and took the pistol. “No worries, what kind of security would they be if they didn’t get on edge when a weapon was pointed at me.”

“The thing is, Jonathan, I don’t need a weapon to kill you.”

“What?”

“A crate of M16’s, a few stacks of C4, and military grade teargas, all sold to the Addison gang located in the west within the last five days. They don’t work for me, but they’re no botter to me either, so I let them operate in their little are. It works well for them, well it did, anyway.”

“What are you implying Phantomhive?”

“A small gang with those kinds of weapons, they’re going to do a lot of bad things, so I put them out of commision.”

“When have you ever cared about my clientele?”

“I’ve always cared, but they were never an issue to me.”

    Ciel pulled out his pistol, aiming it at Jonathan. All the others raised their weapon, pointing at the earl. Both Sebastian and Ciel smiled, the game had started, regardless of how short it would be.

“I don’t get your babbling Phantomhive but I think you’ve forgotten who’s got the guns here.”

“I told you, I don’t need a weapon to kill.” He dropped the pistol on the floor. “If circumstances were different I’d let your men shoot me, but I’m afraid I don’t want to ruin my clothes. It’s so difficult to find the proper material to fix it in this era. I really rather not put Sebastian through all that trouble.”

“I guess the stories about you were true, you’re so full of yourself.”

“Perhaps I am.” Ciel removed his eyepatch, his contract seal glowing. “Sebastian, kill them, but leave Mr. Morris around for some light conversation.”

“What!”

    The lights went out. Bullets started flying, people screamed, and blood could be heard painting the ground. In a matter of seconds the lights came back on. All the men were dead, but not Morris. In the middle of all the carnage he laid on the ground.

    One of his legs twisted, his torso riddled with holes from stray bullets, and blind in one eye. He rolled onto his back and looked over at the truck. There sitting amongst the guns was Ciel with a cup of tea in hand.

“You did well not to get blood on yourself Sebastian.”

“Like you said Bocchan, it’s hard to find the proper material to fix our clothing in this era, and its quiet a hassle to remove blood from clothing. So, I do endeavor to be more careful nowadays.”

“How…”Jonathan croaked out as he looked over at Sebastian. “Ex...military…”

“I’m afraid not Mr. Morris, you see, I am simply one hell of a butler.”

“I never grow tired of hearing those words.”

Jonathan looked back to Ciel. “Why…”

“Don’t pretend now. You did this to yourself. You knew the Addison gang didn’t work for me, but held a grudge towards me. You advertise as neutral, you’d sell to both sides of a war if given the chance, but you saw an opportunity. Sell high grade weapons to Addison to start conflict with me and then surely I’d call you. From there you’d make a high profit.”

“You...see...oppur...tunity...and take...it…too...”

“We’re not the same. I told you I prefer it when my work benefits others. Taking your business out, it benefits a lot of people beside me.” He sipped his tea. “I’ve had enough of him Sebastian. Pleasure doing business with you Jonathan.”

Sebastian finished him off with a swift move. “I believe the clean up crew shall arrive in twenty minutes.”

“Good, shouldn’t be so hard to clean up fresh blood and you made arrangements for the weapons?”

“The weapons present here are now your property and by the time you awake tomorrow morning the rest of Mr. Morris’ supplies shall be yours.”

“Wonderful. I’ll deal with them tomorrow then, shall we go?”

“We shall, it’s about time we get you into a bath and prepare you for the night.”

“You’ll be joining me in the bath Sebastian.” He smiled. “That’s an order.”

“Yes, my lord.”   

    Sebastian removed his bloody gloves and and retrieved his coat. He put it on and walked over to Ciel, putting on a fresh pair of gloves he had gotten from his coat. He placed the eyepatch back on Ciel and lifted him into his arms, walking over the corpses to the car. He placed his young master in the back and drove off, heading home.

    The other servants greeted them upon their return. They gave a brief summary of what had happened in the manor in their absent. Nothing to concern themselves with. Dinner had been prepared and set up but Ciel wished to pass. Sebastian got him to eat though.

    Afterwards Ciel excused himself from the other servants for the night. Sebastian accompanied him to bed, giving him his bath and dressing him for sleep. As he prepared Ciel for the night, they had a light conversation.

“Sebastian.”

“Yes, Bocchan?”

“Tomorrow night, I want you to start investigating our new possible partner.”

“Already my lord? You’ve only just heard of them.”

“And I am intrigued. I believe they have potential, but I am unsure if they can handle true power. I want you to investigate them, I want details, but you are to never make contact with them or to be seen by them, do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, my lord. Might I ask have you been searching for a new partner?”

“Honestly, not really. I’ve never seen the group needing an addition, but recently, one could be useful, and I think I’ve found the perfect candidate. All I need is for you to assure me or disprove me.”

“Then I shall bring you nothing but the truth. I shall explain the situation to the others tomorrow, then I shall entrust your safety to them.”

“I trust them with my life, as I do you. Now come to bed with me.”

    Ciel wrapped his arms around Sebastian’s neck, pulling him into a kiss. As Ciel laid back he pulled Sebastian on top of him. On any other night they’d have relations but Ciel could feel the darkness of sleep pulling him.

“Goodnight...Sebastian...love you…”

“Goodnight Bocchan.”

    Sebastian watched with a smile as Ciel’s eyes closed and he fell asleep. He kissed his cheek then tucked him under the blankets. He turned the lights out and stepped out, going to check on the other servants before settling in for the night.

♥ **♦♦** ♔ **♦♦** ♥

    The night was quiet, peaceful, but that peace was interrupted, if only for a moment. A few men were gathering outside the manor, weapons in hand. Just another night at the Phantomhive estate.

“Here’s the plan, we go in, find that Phantomhive dude, kill him and get out. Anyone who gets in our way is a dead man, understood.”

“Yeah.”

“Um...sir?”

“What Donnie?”

“Is that a snake?”

    The boss turned back to see a huge boa snake jump at him. They all screamed, running off in different directions, but no one got out alive. Some of the men bumped into what looked like a kid, getting beaten into a bloody pulp.

    Others who ran were shot down by mystery bullets. They’re friends watched as they collapsed before them, one bullet in each of their heads. It wasn’t long before they met the same fate. As for the rest, it was either bullet holes or being ripped to pieces.

    The leader of the group was still alive, hearing as all his men died around him. The boa had attacked but nearly wrapped itself around him, making him unable to move. And to make sure he didn’t go anywhere more snakes appeared, tying themselves around his arms and legs, hissing at him.

“It’s rude to come in the night, when the young master is sleeping.”

    The man looked up to see a young blond boy, a girl with short maroon hair, a taller man with short blond hair, smoking, and another man with pale skin and white hair. The four looked down on him.

“He was said to be the leader by all the others. Says Wilde. May I bite his tongue? Asks Emily.”

“Maybe after he talks.” Bard said. “Oscar, you think you can stop covering his mouth so he can talk.”

“Of course. Says Oscar.”

    The servants interrogated the man as he remained restrained. They got the usual details, it was always either business men or gang members. When they no longer had use for him Emily playfully bit down on his tongue.

“We need to clean up before morning.” Finny said.

“Yeah, load the bodies into the pickup truck, me and Mey-Rin can dispose of them.” Bard said. “Webster, kill him.”

“No! Please! I won’t-”

    Webster was wrapped around the man’s neck, now making his grip tighter. The man gagged, trying to beg but was ignored, ultimately suffocating. Bard went to bring the truck around, the others getting the bodies into a pile. Once the boss was dead the snakes returned to Snake.

“That’s always fun. Says Keats. People never learn. Says Wordsworth. The people never live long enough to learn. Says Donnie.”

    As the servants cleaned up Sebastian watched from the master bedroom window. He could have helped but the others could take care of the manor on their own. As the grounds were being cleaned up he went back into bed. Ciel was the only one in the manor who slept.

    Sebastian got into bed, under the covers, and pulled Ciel into his arms. The boy curled up close, having grown used to having Sebastian as pillow. He smiled, he never grew tired of watching his young master sleep, it was his favorite way to pass the night.

“I love you, Bocchan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that the Ciel arc has come to a close. The next few chapters will focus on one of the other three kings, so we'll see who's next, although it is rather obvious. Hope you're enjoying the story so far! Until the next chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

    The man ran into the alley way, his heart beating fast and sweat dripping down his face. He was afraid of those who chased him. As he reached the end of the alley he rounded a corner only to bump into someone. A woman with glass and brown hair tied back smiled at him.

“Hey Jameson, long time no see. You aren’t trying to escape us are ya?”

He screamed and turned around but ended up facing a tall man, blond hair and icy blue eyes staring him down. Before he could react he was punched in the face by a third person, getting knocked to the ground.

“You would have been fine if you hadn’t betrayed me.”

Jameson looked up, three people looking down on him, but soon a fourth appeared, the one who spoke. It was the one man he truly feared, Levi. His cold eyes looked down at him with such disgust, he couldn’t help but feel regret for his actions.

“He looks like he could still run. Mike, break his legs.”

“No! No! Please!”

Mike stepped forward, grabbing Jameson and throwing him against the wall. He pulled out a knife and stabbed him through one leg, kicking the other one in. Jameson screamed and dropped to the floor. He didn’t scream for long before Mike’s boot was putting pressure on his chest, making it hard to breath.

“You know your friends didn’t give you up, at first. Once I tracked down my equipment to London it was easy to find out who sold it here in America. You, Mark, and Jordan. I admit, you were good men, but you broke my trust and for that you’re gonna pay the price.”

“Wait...there’s…”

“Let him speak Mike.”

Mike lifted his foot up a bit. Jameson gasped for breath, coughing and panting.

“Talk.” Levi kicked him.

“We...we didn’t do it...ourselves...this man...he told us, he told us we could make a profit selling the equipment.”

“I need a name smartass.”

“Raymond Sarcolski. He came to us, I wanted no part but...he said if I didn’t he’d kill me.”

Hanji laughed. “Look where it got you.”

“You could have reported the incident to your superior and the information would have gotten to the boss.” Erwin said. “Or did you have no faith that we could help you?”

“Don’t bother answering, it’s too late for apologies.” Levi cut in. “Now the question is, what to do with you?”

“Oh, I have an idea!” Hanji said.

“Which is?”

“The pills have been cleared for human use, the gala is in a few weeks after all. Although, a few more tests, with subjects of his age, would be great. It would help to make sure nothing’s wrong for the debut and...we can use him to start phase two testing.”

“Mike?”

“He’s given us information, more than Mark or Jordan. I say let him continue to be of use to us.” 

“Erwin?”

“He can be invaluable to start phase two testing. This can be considered a minor mercy.” 

“Then it’s settled, Hanji, you can have him, do what you will.”

“Yes!”

“What? Please don’t kill me, please! I have a family.!”

“Your wife left you three  month ago.” Erwin said. “From what I can tell she and the kids are much happier with the stepfather. If you’re still concerned, all your belongings will be sold off and all profits go to her. She won’t miss you.”

“Please.”

“Can someone please shut him up.” Levi said and Mike kicked the guy in the face, knocking him out. “Thank you. Now, Mike call for a car, and Hanji, call Armin, tell him to find Mr. Sarcolski’s location. He’s an old business partner, we haven’t spoken in months, but he should be in our records.”

The two headed down opposite ends on the alley to make their calls. Levi used his gear to get on the nearest roof, Erwin following him. It was half past midnight, a cloudless night and a small breeze to accompany it.

“They were good men.”

“Many people work under us Levi, and this isn’t our first time dealing with betrayal.”

“It’s annoying if anything. The have it good and piss it all away.” Levi sighed. “There are very few people we can trust in this world, and we keep them close.”

“As one should.”

“Erwin, you are to deal with the Jameson case, make sure his family is well taken care of. I want a positive report in a month. Think you can handle it?”

Erwin smirked. “Of course.”

“Levi!” Mike got onto the roof. “Van will be here in twenty minutes.”

“Good.”

“Found our rat. “Hanji said, getting to the roof. “He flew out to Seattle and appears to be staying there for the next few days.”

“Alright then, Hanji, Mike, take Jameson to the lab. I want you both at home in three hours.”

“Yes sir.” Hanji said, jumping down to the alley.

“Should I call you a car?” Mike asked.

“No.” Levi looked at his gear. “It’s a nice night, I’ll take the long way around.”

“See you at home then.” 

Mike stepped back off the roof, meeting up with Hanji, leaving Erwin and Levi alone. The stood in silence for a moment before activating their gear and making their way home.

♥ **♦♦** ♔ **♦♦** ♥

The gala was only a few weeks away, but there were still the finer details Levi needed to deal with. So the best way to do that was to be in Chicago. He had his estate an hour or so outside of the city limits. For the time being he and his gang we’re staying there, living in their usual luxury.

Two hours later, back at the manor Levi and Erwin were greeted by Armin and Mikasa. They always tended to be at the door when the boss got home. They all greeted the others and began walking further into the manor together.

“Armin, I want you to get one of our planes ready for take off in three hours, heading to Seattle. All arrangements are to be confirmed within the hour.”

“Right away sir.”

“And take Erwin with you, he needs to start cleaning up the Jameson case.”

The two boys headed off to another part of the manor. Levi and Mikasa continued walking in silence. They stopped in the armory so Levi could get out of his gear. Afterwards the two wet up to the second floor and stopped in front of a room. It was Levi’s bedroom.

“How is he?” Levi asked.

“He’s improving, three out of ten times he stays on his feet in combat training.”

“Three?”

“Four months ago, ten out of ten times he was on was on his ass.”

“Progress then, is he sleeping?”

“Yes. After dinner he turned in for the night.”

“Where is the rest of the squad?”

“Training, sleeping, or playing video games.”

“Typical brats.” Levi smiled. “Tell everyone to gather in the conference room in an hour, we got some loose ends to deal with.”

“Understood.”

Mikasa headed off. Levi took a moment before slowly opening the door and creeping in. He was careful to not make noise as he closed the door. He watched Eren sleeping on the bed for a moment before smirking.

“I know you’re awake.”

“How?” Eren asked, not moving.

“You’re stiff. When you’re asleep your body is more relaxed. And I know how relaxed you are when sleeping.”

“Creepy comment.” 

Eren sat up and leaned against the headboard, eyes on Levi as he walked over to the dresser to change clothes.

“What happened?” Eren asked.

“Huh?”

“You were supposed to be back before dinner. I was told something came up and you needed to deal with it. It’s two in the morning.”

“We tracked what I believe to be the last rat related to our stolen gear.”

“Believed? What do you mean.”

“The rat we caught gave us the name of the one who orchestrated the theft, Raymond  Sarcolski, currently he’s in Seattle.”

“So you’ll be leaving?”

Levi could hear the slight quiver in Eren’s voice. He knew how worried Eren got when he went out to deal with things. Of course he could always send others but he knew personally dealing with things made him the stronger man. He walked over to the bed, sitting down, and took Eren’s hand.

“I won’t be leaving. I got a lot of work to do here, I’ll have the scouts deal with it.”

“You’re staying!”

“Yes. You know you don’t have to worry about me Eren.”

“I know, but I still do.”

Levi gently caressed his cheek. “I’ll always come back to you Eren. Nothing can ever keep me from you.”

The light of the moon shined through the window making Eren’s eyes shine like precious gems. Levi leaned in and kissed him. He was gentle, kissing Eren softly.

“You should go back to bed.”

“But there’s a meeting in an hour.”

“Right, you were awake. Then you might as well get out of bed and put on something decent.”

Eren yanked Levi further onto the bed. “We have an hour, and you’re still wide awake. We could have some fun.”

Levi smirked. “You’re on.”

♥ **♦♦** ♔ **♦♦** ♥

Within an hour all the gang members at the manor gathered in the conference room. By that time Mike and Hanji had returned. No one appeared tired, everyone alert and ready to take action if necessary.

The conference room was like a normal one you’d find in any corporation. A huge black marble table was in the middle of the room. The table itself could seat around twenty people at a time. The walls had monitors going around the room, used to display information for everyone at the table. The one window wall in the room was bullet proof and tinted for privacy. Everyone seated at the table had eyes on Levi, who sat at the far end of the table.

“How did it go?” Connie asked.

“One less problem, but we made use of him.” Levi said. “Hanji got a new test subject tonight.”

“Poor bastard.” Jean added.

“Agreed. Now moving onto business. Armin, are flight plans set?”

“Yes. An airplane at the O’Hare airport is waiting, ready to go to Seattle.”

“Alright. What happened to night was that Jameson gave us what is most likely our last rat. Supposedly this businessman, an old acquaintance of mine, Raymond Sarcolski got the other three we caught to steal our gear. Through his company we got some supplies to fix up our gear if necessary, it’s how he even knew it existed. His services haven’t been required for months and since he made good money from us I guess he figured he could steal and sell our gear for profit.”

“Stupid ass move if you ask me. No one else has use for it, or even knows how to operate it.” Eren added.

“Exactly. The scouts will be going to Seattle to deal with Sarcolski, however they see fit. Which reminds me, Armin, can you figure out how much Sarcolski made by selling our gear.”

“Already done.” Armin said. “The gear is foreign to the average person. When I checked his bank accounts I found that he had recently received ten million from a European account.”

“Ten million for our gear?” Sasha said. “That stuff is priceless.”

“Well then,I guess that means we should be getting twenty million from Sarcolski.” Marco commented.

“It only seems fair.” Erwin added.

“Can we kill him?” Hanji asked.

“I can’t answer that right now.” Levi said. “I need to ask the others if they have any business with Sarcolski, especially Ciel. I know he likes to make contracts with powerful businessmen he works with. I’ll get back to you on that.”

“Fine, we’ll break his legs.”

“What you do with Sarcolski is your business. I want you guys out of the state in an hour.”

“Yes sir.” Erwin said.

“Good. With that out of the way I want a report. Where are the rogues and ops?”

“The ops reported finishing their business in Florida. They should be here later today.” Mikasa said. “As for the rogues, they’re closing up a deal in L.A. so they’ll most likely be arriving tomorrow.”

“Alright then, that’s everything. Everyone’s dismissed.”

Everyone headed off. They had things to door beds to get into. Eren and Levi returned to their room.

“After breakfast remind me to teach you some table manners.” Levi said.

“What? Why?”

“Cause the gala is having a huge dinner and you need to know how to use proper utensils.”

“I’ve been to a gala before.”

“No. That was a charity event, and things didn’t end well.”

“I know…” Eren grabbed his key and held it in his hand. “I’m okay.”

“You are, now let’s get some sleep, unless you wanna sleep on a pillow of eggs.”

“That was one time. Jean didn’t let anyone wake me.”

“I know.”

Levi got into bed with Eren, kissing his cheek. He noticed Eren was still a bit shaky, remembering that charity event.

“Eren, that won’t happen at the gala, nothing bad will happen, I’ll make sure. You trust me to do that?”

“I do.”

♥ **♦♦** ♔ **♦♦** ♥

That charity event had been within the first five months of Eren being with Levi and his gang. It was a much different time back then. The first week Eren didn’t leave Levi’s room. He was too scared of everyone else and didn’t want to leave Levi’s side.

Levi still had work but he understood Eren’s fears. He stayed with him, working from his room. He talked with Eren, telling him about himself and learning of him. He had Sasha bring them food throughout the day, he fed Eren a few times.

The second week Eren was moving around the manor. He was still shy, not talking to many others except for Armin and Mikasa. He took a liking to them rather quickly. At that point Eren was okay without Levi as long as he was with the other too. So Mikasa looked after him when Levi wasn’t around and Armin helped Eren further develop his speech and writing.

By the third week Eren was socializing with the others in the manor. He was acting like the average person really. He was quiet happy too, but what caught Levi of guard was Eren’s desire to learn how to fight. He had watched the others train and decided he wanted to join them. Levi didn’t object and squad took him under their wing to help train him.

Usually Mikasa would teach him moves but if she was ever busy it fell to Jean. Most of his time was spent in the training room. He had a long way to go before ever being at anyone’s level. He was determined, regardless of how many times he ended up on the floor, bruised and bloody.

“Hey Jean.” Connie asked one day, having seen Jean beat Eren down on the training room floor. “Why don’t you cut him some slack, he’s a novice.”

“I can’t cut him some slack, no one ever will.”

Eren spit out some blood and got up, raising his fists. “Let’s go again.”

“I’m impressed Yeager, still got some fight left in you.”

“I...I won’t stop.” Eren said through breaths. “Not...until...I’m dead.”

“You aren’t gonna die in here.”

“Then...I’ll take...the pain.”

“Good.”

Mikasa never really held back either when training Eren. She never beat him like Jean did, but that didn’t mean she didn’t bruise up Eren. He never complained though, no matter how many bruises, busted lips, black eyes, sprained joints, or broken bones he got. Levi never said anything either. Eren could back out during any fight if he wanted to, he could have avoided some of the more serious injuries if he asked to stop, but he never did.

The most interesting thing though, was that despite the blood Eren never shifted. Levi couldn’t quiet figure out why at first, but one day he got his answers. It was a weekend in Austin, Texas and Eren had been sparring with Jean outside, along with the other squad members. Levi was watching and listening in on that fight.

Eren was on all fours, gasping for breath. He was panting, his chest burning and begging for air. His nose was bleeding and his lip was busted. He felt the bruises forming on his forearms from blocking all of Jean’s punches.

“Jean that’s enough!” Marco yelled as he ran over to the two. “He’s had enough, I think you’re done.”

“I’m done when he says he is, and going by how he’s shaking I don’t think he wants to turn in the towel.”

“Shut up Jean!” Eren yelled.

Within that first month of sparring it was clear Eren had a lot of anger in him. That anger tended to manifest itself into frustration during sparring. He’d lash and despite his determination he’d still lose.

“You gonna get angry again Yeager? You think your anger is gonna help you win a fight? How many times to I and Mikasa have to tell you that your uncontrollable anger in battle puts you at a disadvantage. You’re like a kid.”

“Given his circumstances he kind of is Jean.”

“Marco.” Jean said, unamused.

“Yeah I know.”

Jean sighed. “Don’t think I take pleasure in kicking your ass Yeager. You’ve got potential, when you’re angry you are stronger, but you lash out and aren’t in control of yourself. So let’s cut the crap. Why are you here? Why do you want to learn to fight? Cause as far as I am concerned you want to learn so bad you fight till you can’t stand, heck sometimes till you fall unconscious. Why do you want to fight? What are you fighting for?”

“Heichou!” Eren said, his voice shaking from the tears building up. “I owe him my life. He...and the rest of you, you’re all strong, you can protect each other. I don’t want to be a burden. I want to be able to protect myself...and Heichou. I fight for Heichou!”

“Pretty good motivator. We’ve all been through hell before getting here, I guess you’re going through yours. Now get Yeager.” Eren stood up, a new spark behind his eyes.

“What have I always told you is the way to win a real fight?”

“You fight...dirty. It’s a live or die world. If you win, you live. If you lose, you die. If you don’t fight, you can’t win.”

“Well said, now fucken hit me Eren.”

After that Eren was more focused in his training. When he admitted why he desired to fight he didn’t just tell Jean, he told himself. He found his reason and that motivated him. He wasn’t so careless anymore in sparring, and he really did begin to improve after that.

On one occasion Levi had received a last minute invitation to a charity event. He had recently landed in New York and when the people running the event heard, they immediately invited him. Of course Levi was there on other important business.

    Recently he tended to avoid being in New York since he knew how Eren felt about the place. He hated it since it brought back memories, but he was being strong for Levi. The gang stayed at their penthouse in the city, since the trip was meant to be a short one. Unlike other times where they tended to stay at their estate for a month or more if the issue required it.

    The charity event was last minute but Levi had to go. Armin had informed him that his lack of public appearance in the last few months could hurt both their business. Going to that charity event would look very well so as much as Levi despised giant social events he knew he had to go, and Eren wanted to go as well.

    Levi disagreed at first but Eren really wanted to. It would be his first time truly out in the real world. Of course he was nervous, there would be a lot of people and it was New York, but he felt that if he was with Levi, he’d be alright. Levi ultimately agreed, despite what happened, he doesn’t regret taking Eren.

    The event was a simple one, taking place in a small suburban area. The charity representatives were present, greeting everyone and giving a small presentation. They encouraged donations and Levi made a very generous one. He honestly had more money than he knew what to do with it. Eren on the other hand was really enjoying the event. He was still a bit shy talking to others but he did well, enjoying his time with Levi and the snack bar.

    Half way through the event the atmosphere suddenly changed. The venue was disrupted by a group of masked men with weapons. They began firing into the air, people screaming and trying to run but it only got them shot. On any other occasion Levi would be glad to fight back but he saw Eren.

    This was his first time dealing with any sort of gun violence, and he stared at the dead bodies on the floor. He was scared, frozen in place as the guns went off. Levi tackled him to the ground, a bullet grazing his shoulder before hit the floor.

    After the initial take over the men had everyone on their knees and up against the wall. They knew what the event was and knew its guests would have deep pockets. They were taking peoples jewelry, watches, and whatever cash they could get from wallets. Eren was still shaking, trying to calm himself down.

“Phones, hand them over.” One guy asked as he went around. “Phone kid.”

“He doesn’t have one.” Levi said when the man asked Eren.

“Who told you to speak!”

“He doesn’t have a fucken phone.”

“Then I guess I’ll check for it myself.”

“If you touch him you’re dead.”

“I’m so scared.”

Levi was a man of his word. As the guy reached for Eren he got up and stabbed the guy in the throat, taking his gun. He yelled for everyone to get down and began firing at the other men. They tried shooting back but Levi used the man he killed a shield.

“I told you.”

Levi dropped his shield and took cover with Eren by flipping a table. Most of the other guests had taken cover as well. Levi put away his hidden blade and checked the ammo on the gun he had. He told Eren to stay put and jumped out of cover, charging those who were still alive.

Blood painted his clothes and skin, but he came out victorious. He dropped the gun to the floor and told everyone it was ok. Those who still had their phone called 911 reporting the incident. People thanked Levi but he ignored them, going over to Eren. He had a bit of blood on his face from when Levi killed that first guy.

“I’m sorry.” Levi said.

He helped Eren up and out of the building. He got his phone back and called Erwin, he explained the situation, telling him to send them a pick. In the distance sirens were heard. Eren was quiet, he was in shock. He knew that violence, death, were his life with Levi, but to see innocents die, he was speechless.

The police arrived with a few ambulances and not long after that Mike arrived with a car. Erwin stepped out, looking upon the scene, and speaking to Armin over the phone. Levi lead Eren over to the car and helped him inside, before he could get in an officer approached him.

“Hold on sir, you can’t just leave.”

“It’s been a rather eventful day. I’d rather not linger.”

“The others say you killed the men.”

“It was-”

“Stop talking Levi.” Erwin interjected. “If the police wish to speak with you then they can do so with your lawyer present.”

“Are you serious.” The officer said. “At least let the EMTs look you over.”

“There are many others who need to be looked over first, Mr. Ackerman can return to his hotel and be seen by his personal doctor.”

“Ackerman? I know-”

“If you wish to question him further you can call and come by later.” Erwin handed the officer a card. “Good day.”

He usher Levi into the car and got in himself. Mike drove off, heading back into the city. Erwin wanted to go over what happened but Levi shook his head, he rather not in front of Eren. On that drive back to the penthouse Eren just stared out the window.

When they got back Mikasa took Eren to get him cleaned up while Levi briefed the others on what happened so they could figure out how to deal with it and how it would affect his public reputation. Once that was dealt with Levi went to his room. Despite the blood he was still a man of order and cleanliness.

Eren’s bloody clothes, the first suit he ever wore, was in metal bin. The clothes would be burned later. He went over to the bathroom. Eren was in the tub, Mikasa with her sleeves rolled up, gently cleaning some of the blood of Eren with a sponge. When she saw Levi she stopped and stood up. She stepped out of the room going over to Levi.

“He’s in shock, but he’ll be okay. He’s strong, and he has you.”

She excused herself and left the room. Levi undressed, throwing his clothes in the bin as well and getting into the tub with Eren. He grabbed the sponge and continued where Mikasa left off. Eren stared off blankly at the wall past Levi. The horrors he witnessed still running through his mind.

“I know how you feel. It’s not fair, life isn’t fair. All I, we, ever try to do is help, help free people from the cruelty of today’s reality, regardless of the method. Those who are evil will die, you have my word Eren. We are justice after all, the wings of freedom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! I know we're rather past the time to celebrate but who cares?! There's an update! Anyway, for the next few chapters we're focusing Levi and his world. Gala is a few weeks away and who knows what will go down. I honestly didn't even notice how long this chapter was until I finished writing it. Now of course only a few characters from AoT have been mentioned, and there are still a few to be named that are in Levi's gang. Then of course some other characters have a different life, you'll find out soon enough. And there is a lot more to Ciel but he's a bit more complex so you'll learn more about him as the fic progresses. I hope you're enjoying the story so far, and I am also very excited to continue this and get more into the world and characters, thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

Everyone had breakfast together in the dining hall. They shared some casual conversation, going over what the plans were for the day. These were the times where they were all just themselves. No business to deal with, no people to teach a lesson to, just them together. The gala was still a few weeks out so they didn’t need to prepare just yet.

After breakfast the others went off to go about their day while Eren and Levi stayed. Levi was teaching Eren about table manners, going over the proper way to use utensils and when. He agreed that it was all rather ridiculous but it was necessary for his line of work. Eren did his best to keep up, somethings still going over his head.

Levi had some chocolate cake on the table and Eren couldn’t have any until he understood how to use the proper utensils. It was a good motivator for Eren. While they were in the dining hall practicing the ops group returned.

“Good to see you made it in one piece.” Levi said. “How did it go?”

“No complications.” Eld said.

“Really? You were supposed to be back yesterday.”

“We thought the gang wars were over.” Petra said. “But then some crime lord decided to hand both sides some new gear, shit got bloody.”

“Casualties?”

“Yeah, some civilians were caught in the crossfire.”

“We took care of all the bills before we left.” Gunther added. “Hospital bills as well as paid for repairs.”

“So why were you radio silent for nearly 24 hours?”

“We had to get involved in order to end the bloodshed.” Oluo said. “Shit was getting beyond our control and it was becoming a problem for our business. No it ain’t a problem anymore.”

“That’s good, I’m glad you all got back safe and that the situation in Florida has been dealt with. Why don’t you guys have some breakfast and settle in, you can relax for the time being.”

“Great, cause I’ve been dying for Sasha’s hashbrowns.” Petrad said gleefully and took a seat at the table.

“Speak for yourself, Connie’s pancakes are hella fluffy.” Gunther said. 

“Levi.” Eld walked over to him. “We do need to discuss the effects this gang war has on us.”

“Understood. I have nothing to deal with today so we can discuss after-”

“Levi!” 

Armin returned to the dining hall, his usual tablet in hand. Everyone took notice of him for a moment, the ops group saying hello and Armin returning the greeting. He went over to Levi.

“Sorry to interrupt but the venue for the gala called, they said they need you to come in to go over somethings.”

“Seriously? The gala isn’t for a few weeks.”

“Two in a half weeks actually.”

“Gosh, I hate these things.” Levi sighed. “Anyone, Armin go get Mikasa, she’ll be coming with us to the venue. Eld, we’ll have this debrief when I get back. Now let’s go Eren.”

“Me? What about the cake?”

“We’ll see if you understood what I taught you when we get back.”

“Fine.”

♥ **♦♦** ♔ **♦♦** ♥

The group of four made their way downtown to the venue. Since they were in a city like Chicago the venue was above ground with a wonderful view of the city skyline. Levi had it picked out for months now. He had gone over the guest list and catering back when he first booked the place so he didn’t really understand what was the point of being called down. 

Of course there was the suspicion that it was some sort of trap, which is why both Mikasa and Armin had backpacks with them. This was a big city afterall, a perfect place for ODM gear. It was a precaution but a necessary one, at this point the gala was public knowledge, and they knew who was hosting it.

Eren was rather excited to go see the place, he hadn’t been there, but he had seen a lot of pictures. As they drove through the city Eren had his face on the window, looking at the tall buildings above him. It reminded him of New York but it looked different so it put him at ease. When they arrived they were greeted by one of the managers of the place who went with them up to the venue place.

“So, care to explain why I am here?” Levi questioned. “It’s not like the event is tomorrow.”

“I am well aware sir but decorations need to be discussed, catering, the program and-”

“I’ve already done that.”

“Yes, but we need to go over somethings. Such as your guest list, you have the seating arrangements all done but there are still some guests who haven’t RSVP for the event.”

“Why were you looking through the guest list?”

“Well, I needed to do so to make sure we didn’t serve anything harmful to-”

“That’s why I have Armin. He’s already informed me about the guests and certain allergies and dietary restrictions. The catering has been set with all that in mind.”

“Speaking of which what restaurant is the catering from?”

“None, I’m having personal chefs cook the day before the gala.”

“Oh...what of dessert?”

“Catering from the Funtom Company.”

“What? They aren’t based in America, you’d be importing and-”

“You read the guest list didn’t you? So you know who will be in attendance.”

“Yes of course, but-”

“You don’t need to be asking or concerning yourself over these things. So why don’t you think of a good reason for me to be here or I will speak to the owner.”

While Levi and Armin discussed with the manager Eren had gone over to the windows. They were pretty high up and he could see all the buildings, even the lake to his left. Mikasa stood behind him, looking out the windows too. He was in awe of the view, looking forward to seeing it at night with all the lights.

“It’s so pretty up here Mikasa. I can feel the building moving when I put my hand on the glass.”

“It doesn’t scare you?”

“I mean a bit but these buildings have been here for years, I don’t a little wind will knock them over.”

“Is this your first time in the city?”

“Yeah, I read about, that big fire that happened, the fair, Al Capone. It’s pretty cool to be here. You think Levi will let me go sightseeing.”

“Typical tourist stuff then?”

“Well yeah.”

“If you’re gonna go sightseeing then maybe you should also practice with the ODM gear.”

“Here?”

“The tall buildings make this place a great training ground.”

“I agree.”

Levi walked over with Armin to the others, gazing out the windows at the skyline.

“Done already?” Eren questioned.

“I’m done. There really was no point in coming down here, just nonsense. Let’s just go home, order some deep dish catering for dinner.”

“Really? Sounds delicious.”

“Sure, but you gotta earn it first.”

“Training like usual then?” Armin said.

“Yup. Let’s get out of here.”

♥ **♦♦** ♔ **♦♦** ♥

Back home the others went off to training while Levi spoke with Eld about the ops mission. In the last couple of days gang on gang violence had increased in Florida. Most of the time Levi never got involved with gangs unless he saw potential or proof. The only reason he did get involved this time was because the war was affecting his business.

He sent the ops group, Eld, Petra, Oluo, and Gunther, to fix the problem. The plan had been to just end the war, peacefully, but both sides acquired new weapons and things once again escalated. The team found the seller and got rid of them, hence why they returned later than expected.

The funds for damage and supplies had already been paid so the situation was behind them now. The worry now shifted to what the rogues were up to. They’d be back soon enough so there wasn’t too much to worry about. Once his talk with Eld concluded Levi was alone in his study. Even if going down to the venue was pointless it did bring to his attention that he needed to make some calls.

He turned on the monitors he had, focusing on the training room. The others were there. He watched for a while, keeping an eye on Eren. The boy already got his cake but table manners are a tricky thing so he’d test him again. As he watched he called the scouts group to get an update on their mission. Erwin answered him.

“How’s Seattle weather?”

“Normal. Nice and sunny actually.”

“You’re not slacking off are you?”

“Of course not. Hanji and Mike went out to recon the place for this convention Mr. Sarcolski will be attending tomorrow.”

“Then I guess everything is going well?”

“So far so good, don’t jinx it now.”

Levi snickered. “I won’t, and if I did you’d be fine. Do you have any idea when you’ll get back.”

“At this point I’d say 48 hours, 72 if there are unforeseen complications.”

“The usual then. We really are efficient.”

“By chance have you spoken to the others about Mr. Sarcolski?”

“No, I was gonna make some calls after I checked in with you. I’ll text you as soon as I have the information for you. I have a good feeling so you might as well prepare to kill him.”

“Understood. I’ll keep in touch.”

“You better, talk to you later.”

Levi ended the call, making some mental notes before moving on to the next call. He checked the time and converted it to European time, Ciel should still be awake. He made the call, knowing he should speak with him first.

“Good afternoon Levi, how may I help you.”

“Hello Sebastian, is there any chance I can speak with Ciel?”

“The young master is currently occupied with paperwork but I’m sure he’d love to put it aside to speak with you. I reckon the matter is urgent.”

“You can say that, thank you.”

“No problem, please hold.”

“Of course.” After a moment Ciel was on the line.

“To what do I owe this surprise. Any trouble?”

“This is more of a social call Ciel.”

“Well then, what shall we talk about.”

“My ODM gear.”

“You have recovered it correct.”

“Yes, thanks for the help. I’ve tracked down those responsible and it seems my final target is a businessman named Raymond  Sarcolski. I was wondering if you had any sort of arrangement with him.”

“The name doesn’t sound familiar but I shall check my records just in case. I appreciate the call, is there anything else?”

“We’re still set for the gala correct? Your sweets that is and your attendance.”

“Both will be there. It should be a great place to network and make new friends.”

“I hope so.”

“How is Eren doing him? When I met him he was quiet shy, well, not with you.”

“He’s more social now, learned to fight, he’s decent at the moment.”

“You got him to train with the rest of your gang?”

“No, it was his choice. I came back from a meeting one day and Eren was in the medbay. He had been mocking one of the others till a punch was thrown. No surprise to say he got his ass kicked.”

“I suppose it’s for the best for him to learn, especially if he wants to run with you.”

“He’s got heart, that makes him dangerous, all I can do is cultivated it. Well, I shouldn’t keep you from your work, I’m sure it’s important.”

“Somewhat. I’ll text you about my relation to Sarcolski when I have the information. I’ll see you in a few weeks, take care.”

“Take care, bye.”

The call ended and Levi went out to the kitchen to get a cup of tea. On his way back he bumped into Marco dressed in camouflage ODM gear. 

“Are you going out or is something up.”

“Oh, hey Levi, Mikasa mentioned doing some ODM training in the city. Are you coming?”

“No, I’m afraid I have calls to make, who’s going with you?”

“The squad, since the ops group just got back it’s best they rest up and stay home. It’d also be unfair to leave you alone.”

“I’d be fine, but go have fun, and look after-”

“Eren, yeah we know.”

“Be back before dinner.”

“Promise, see ya.”

Levi rolled his eyes with a smile as Marco headed out. He looked forward to hearing how the training went when they go back. He settled back into his study, turning off the monitors since the others were probably just relaxing. The house was usually quiet since it was huge, and for the moment it was slightly more quiet. He called Viktor.

“Levi! It’s so good to hear from you. What can I do for you?”

“Not much, I was just wondering if the name Raymond  Sarcolski meant something to you.”

“Let me see...businessman right?”

“Yeah.”

“Do they work as supplier, for technical parts that is.”

“Yes.”

“Hold on a moment.” Viktor went to his study, looking through his files. “Ah yes, Mr. Sarcolski, he supplies me with somethings on occasion. I’m not pleased by the man, but the rest of my brothers don’t really want to find a new supplier. You’d e doing me a favor if you killed him. So what has he done to you?”

“He’s responsible for stealing my gear.”

“Ah well, happy hunting.”

“Thanks, how have you been?”

“I’ve been good. Business is keeping me busy, as well as some new inductions.”

“So you got your hands full with children.”

“Pretty much. I assume your busy preparing for a party.”

“I’ve mostly finished all the preparations, you will be in attendance right?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss a party of yours for the world. I’m looking forward to it.”

“I’m glad, how’s Yuuri?”

“He’s doing well, ice skating at the moment.” Viktor looked at the monitor on his desk, watching the camera footage of Yuuri ice skating. “He hasn’t told me but I know he’s rather nervous about a big party like the one you are throwing.”

“It will be boring I can assure. This isn’t some big social event. It’s basically standing around with drinks and talking, then sitting at a table and talking while we eat, boring, he has nothing to worry about.”

“I’ll be sure to relay the message. I have to go Levi, Yurio is staring me down for something, tell the others I said hello.”

“Will do, see you later.”

Levi wasn’t much of a social person, it’s why he had people around him who were. It’s why he was in charge. He didn’t let emotions cloud his judgement so he had the power to make the hard calls. But he wasn’t completely cold hard, it’s why he had his family around him, to keep him human. 

He finished his tea knowing there was still one more call to make. Although he had to wait a few hours. The timezones between then were vastly different. Waiting was more of a courtesy since he could probably catch Kaneki awake at the time. After dinner would be a better time to call.


	9. Chapter 9

    Eren wearly peaked over the edge of the building, looking down at streets below, it was a long way down. The group had gathered on top of the Willis Tower to prepare for some ODM gear training. They were all chatting with each other but Eren was more concerned about the height.

“You gonna jump?”

    Eren was startled when he heard a voice behind him and backed away from the edge. He knew it wasn’t Jean since he probably would have tried to shove him off the edge. When he stepped back he saw Marco there with a smile.

“I...I mean we’re gonna do that anyway right?”

“Yeah, eventually. So how are you with heights? This is the highest building in the city.”

“It’s...fine. I’m more curious about the gear we’re wearing. It’s not the same, this one feels lighter, it’s black and we have guns instead of swords.”

“The other gear is the old one. Made way back then to take out titans from the experiments. We use it today as training gear so we can understand the mechanics of it, and also to back you up if you ever go titan mode.”

“So then what’s the point of this one? And how can we be up here without being spotted by other people in the buildings around us?”

“I guess Mikasa and Armin forgot to brief you, so you just got dressed?”

“Pretty much.”

“Alright then, so for starters there is that.” Marco pointed behind them to a metallic semi-circle device on the floor. “It’s a camouflage and shield generator. You can set the range and while it’s on we can’t be seen or hit by anything. Your gear also has one that you can activate by tapping the wings on your chest plate, it’s more advance so it auto adjusts to surround you or anyone else you’re carrying.”

“So this is the one you guys mostly use? Why?”

“Well, look around you, nothing but buildings right.”

“Yes.”

“Now imagine we put a vault of money on the 40th floor. That’s pretty high right.”

“Yes.”

“So you break into the building, get to the vault, get the money, but you were discovered. The elevators won’t work, security is blocking the stairs and every other exit. You’re trapped, you can’t leave the floor and you’re pretty much gonna get caught. You’re screwed right? You can’t really steal something from a building.”

“Yeah, that sounds right.”

“For the average person. Now, same scenario but you got this gear, can you escape?”

“Yeah?”

“How?”

“You jump out the window?”

“Exactly. Levi knows a lot of his business takes place in cities like this. As cool as these skyscrapers are, they’re also death traps, hence this gear. Light, portable, and the best escape plan for places like this. What did you think was in those backpacks Mikasa and Armin had earlier when you guys went to the venue?”

“But this gear is complicated, if something happened they couldn’t-”

“I know Eren, what they had was a basic version designed just for escape. Levi’s had years with the stuff, he’s made the necessary upgrades. Did you know these things use to run on gas? Now it’s all electronic so we don’t really have to worry about falling out of the sky.”

“Levi’s done a lot then.”

“Yeah he has.” Marco looked out at the city. “A lot’s been going on lately Eren...you know that some group seems to be looking for him.”

“I know, I have tried to talk him out of the gala, but he’s stubborn.”

“Levi’s not a man to cower in the shadows. I don’t think he’s scared of anything if I’m being honest.”

“Wait, why do we have guns again?”

“Oh you know, it’s more effective than swords, especially in this business.”

“You boys done?” Mikasa shouted at the two. “Time to move.”

    The two joined the rest of the group. It was still daytime but the sun was setting, and everyone was looking forward to dinner.

“We’ve been here before, but it’s always good to refresh our memory of the city layout. We stick with someone at all times, no going solo. Make sure you stay hidden and safe, meet back up here in three hours.”

    With that said the others ran off to the edge and jumped, disappearing into the city. The only person left besides Eren was Mikasa.

“I don’t think Marco went over everything.”

“I don’t think so either.”

She laughed. “Well I assure you there’s not much else to tell. The gear works the same way as the one you’ve trained with, just a bit different.” She walked over and activated Eren’s cloaking gear, activating her own then grabbing the device from the floor. “With your camoflauge and shield activate you don’t have to be worried about being spotted as you move through the city. You’re shielded and the hooks have their own cloaking, don’t worry about leaving marks on glass or cement. And while your cloaking is on you can see the others who also have it on so you can avoid crashing. You got voice activated coms too, so if you wanna talk just say connect to whoever or the squad to reach us all.”

“Okay but what about...landing? Like I turn a sharp corner and I like need to crash into a window to stop?”

“First tap on the chest plate over your heart activates the cloak gear, tap the other one.”

    Eren did as he was told then soon found himself floating up. He panicked, hearing Mikasa laugh. She did the same and gracefully floated up a few feet off the ground.

“Calm down, it’s part of the gear, hover technology. I believe we’re at least three feet of the ground. If for some reason we lose altitude this tech prevents us from hitting the ground. As for sharp turns and stuff, the clothes you’re wearing can absorb kinetic energy so you won’t get hurt or damage anything incase of a crash. The gloves and boots also let you stick to walls. Any other questions or concerns?”

“How do I turn off hover mode?”

“First tap activates the tech second turns it off. We keep hover mode and cloaking on at all times. Anything else?”

“Yeah, how do I use the guns?”

“Top trigger fires the gun, bottom trigger release and pulls back the hooks. Extra clips for the guns are at your sides.”

“But I don’t have any?”

“You also don’t have a loaded gun. You’re not there yet Yeager. Now, let’s fly.”

    Mikasa shot out some lines and flew off into the city. Eren focused on keeping his balance while floating. He took a deep breath then soon followed after Mikasa.

♥ **♦♦** ♔ **♦♦** ♥

    Flying through a city was different when compared to flying through trees. There was more space to move around in, but most of all, you could truly feel like you were flying. There was always room for error though.

    Among the trees one can accidentally cross lines, their own or with others. Here in the city, things to swing from were more separate but all had consists designs, so paying attention to where the lines are shot at is still very important.

    Eren stayed with Mikasa, following her throughout the city. He knew the others were refreshing their memories about the city but this was all new to him. He took in the view, everywhere he turned he found himself with a different angle. His favorite view was whenever he saw the lake.

    After the three hours he and Mikasa returned to the Willis Tower. He properly learned how land, pulling himself towards the roof with enough force that he could detach and turn off hovering to simply land on the roof. Mikasa put down the cloaking device down and the two waited for the rest if the squad.

“So, this is the city gear then?”

“That’s a good way to put it. Did you have fun?”

“Yeah, maybe next time I can enjoy the city from the ground.”

“Maybe tomorrow we can do some tourist stuff.”

“I figured we might be able too after the gala.”

“Can’t. After the gals we’ll be leaving, business.”

“What else would it be.”

    Connie, Sasha, and Armin were the first to return. Jean and Marco soon returning as well. There was a quick chat between them all before they jumped down to street level and went home.

    By the time they got home the sun had set and dinner was waiting. They got out of their gear and met with the others in the dining room.

“How did it go?” Levi asked Eren.

“Good, the other gear seems easier to maneuver in.”

“Glad you’re getting use to it.”

“So what did you do while we were gone?”

“Made some calls. I need to make one more after dinner and then get back to the scouts.”

“The ones who went to Seattle.”

“Yup.”

“So are you looking forward to the gala?”

“It’s just another social event, dreading it but it’s necessary.”

“All we do is necessary isn’t it?”

“Yeah, so don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

♥ **♦♦** ♔ **♦♦** ♥

    After dinner Eren settled down with Levi in his study. He was reading a book, continuing his own studies while Levi made calls. By the time Levi reached out to Kaneki he knew it would nearly be noon for them. He just hoped he wasn’t calling at a bad time, Kaneki always had a lot on his plate.

“Hello Levi.” Tsukiyama answered. “How can I be of assistance.”

“Is it a bad time.”

“Not necessarily.”

“Where’s Kaneki?”

“Currently dealing with himself. Arguments seem to have risen and he’s needed to sort things out, but you know I can speak for Kaneki.”

“Yeah, I hope he works things out. Anyway, my people are tracking this business man, Raymond Sarcolski, I wanted to know if Kaneki had any business with him.”

“We’ve never heard the name before, so I guess that makes you all clear to execute them.”

“Pretty much, one less problem. While I got you here, I've been informed that you guys haven’t RSVP for the gala.”

“My apologies, there has been much work that we’ve been unsure whether we’d be able to attend.”

“It’s alright, the gala isn’t even for a few more weeks.”

“We greatly appreciate your understanding.”

“I’ll let you go now, say hello to the others for me.”

“Same for us, goodbye.”

“Bye.”

    Levi sat down at his desk, sending a message to Erwin, giving him the green light. He looked at Eren.

“How’s the book?”

“Scary. This society and the whole ‘big brother is watching’ just seems depressing. Does it have a happy ending?”

“Now that would be spoilers, but what do you think.”

“I’m not sure.”

“Well it’s one of those high school literature books. So it’s something you should read.”

“Have you read it?”

“Yes, recently reread it too so I can answer questions when you’re done.”

“Cool. What should I read after this?”

“Perhaps something in the science fiction area, and not part of a high school curriculum.”

“I’ll find something.”


	10. Chapter 10

Levi groans awake, feeling someone shaking him. He opens his eyes, there was barely any sunlight. He sat up to see Armin in his room.

“What’s up? Is everything okay?” Levi asked.

“Yeah. The rogues just got back, I figured you’d want a debrief as soon as possible.”

“Thanks. I’ll be in my study in five.”

“Okay, I’ll relay the message.”

Armin heads out. Levi gets out of bed, looking down at Eren who was still sleeping. He didn’t want to wake him up, so he quietly dressed and snuck out. He made his way to his study, when he opened the door he was tackled into a hug.

“Big bro!”

Levi laughed. “Hello Isabel, glad to see your home.”

“Glad to be home.”

Furlan walked over and got Isabel off Levi then helped him into his feet. The two embraced.

“How did everything go?” Levi asked.

“Good. A few issues in the meeting rooms, but nothing we couldn’t handle.” Furlan said.

“Yet you were running late.”

“Some people got in the way.” Isabel said and sat down. “But we took care of them. The contract in California is secure.”

“That’s good to hear but I still want a proper report.”

“Can I have it on your desk tomorrow morning?”  Furlan asked.

“Sure, you both must be tired, but breakfast will be served shortly. I suggest you stick around, I’m sure everyone will be happy to see you.”

“Is everyone home?”

“No, the scouts are in Seattle.”

“Business as usual then.”  

“Always.”

The three caught up for a while before Armin came by to inform them that breakfast was ready. They went down to the dining hall, the others already gathered. They welcomed Furlan and Isabel home, leading to lively discussions at the table over what they had done.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” Eren asked when Levi sat down. 

“I didn’t want to wake you up. You looked so peaceful, besides I wanted you to save your strength.”

“For what?”

“You told me you wanted to go sightseeing. You got the aerial view the other day when you went on ODM training. Now you can go see the city from the ground.”

“Really?!”

“Why not, I got some free time.”

“Awesome!”

After breakfast Levi and Eren headed out with some of the others. They rarely had time to enjoy the cities they were in so many wanted to take advantage of what there was to do. Some went to museums, others went to go try all the Chicago foods, Navy Pier or even just went to the parks to walk around.

Levi tried to do as much as he could with Eren. They went to see some famous landmarks in the parks and then walked along the lake to Navy Pier with ice cream in hand. Eren did stop every now and then to take pictures, well Mikasa took the pictures. She was with them, watching out for Eren mostly.

No one really got home till late at night. Everyone seemed rather tired but some still did some training before going to bed. Levi did have some calls to make before going to bed so he went off to his study, Eren deciding to do some training as well. When he went to the training room he was tackled by Furlan.

“What’s up! You down for someone one-on-one?”

“Sure, but you know I can’t put up much of a fight.”

“Come on, you gotta be more confident in yourself, you’re like Superman or something, or you can be.” Furlan got off of Eren and helped him to his feet. “Besides, last time I saw you Marco had your arm pinned behind your back and you were crying uncle.”

“You’re all better trained then me, any of you could take me.”

“True, but one day you’ll be on our level. That’s the goal right?”

“Yes.”

“Then come on, let’s spar. I also want to see if you’ve improved.”

“Alright. I’ll do my best to give you a fight.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

The two got onto a mat, Furlan appearing way more coordinated than Eren. He did his best but that didn’t stop him from ending up face first on the ground. Furlan was still impressed, taking note that Eren had actually improved.

“Better than I expected.”

“If you say so. I don’t think I’ve gotten better.”

“It takes time, you’ll get there, I swear. I look forward to the day you pin me to the ground.”

“Don’t let Levi hear you say that.” Connie called out from the other side of the room.

They both laughed, and Furlan turned in for the night. Eren did a bit more practice with a punching bag before showering. He was going to bed but decided it was best to stop by Levi’s study first. Just as he thought, Levi was still working.

“You need to slow down.”

“Huh?” Levi turned back and smiled at Eren. “Oh, hey, I didn’t hear you come in.”

“You’re that busy?”

“No, just needed to return some calls. Furlan and Isabel settled things in California for building, so now I needed to confirm some things and what not.”

“Are you done yet?”

“Almost, I’ll join you soon, promise.”

“Promise?”

“Half an hour at best.”

“Okay.” Eren went over and kissed Levi on the cheek. “Don’t work too hard.”

“I won’t.”

♥ **♦♦** ♔ **♦♦** ♥

When it was a week to the gala everyone was gathered. The scouts had returned with a successful mission, so it was time to prepare for the party. Levi called everyone to the conference room. In a matter of minutes everyone was seated, a folder in front of all of them.

“So, next week is the gala, which means we need to get assignments in order.”

“Finally! A real big party!” Sasha cheered.

“It’s a gala.” Jean said. “Not some rave.”

“Regardless, still going to be fun.”

“Fun may be putting it lightly.” Erwin cut in. “There will be a lot of high class individuals in attendance.”

“Which is why we need to talk as a family.” Levi said. “So let’s begin. First off the squad minus Mikasa, Armin, and Eren will be working the floor. You guys will serve drinks and food, along with the others who have been hired for the nights. You guys will be in charge of all the other waiters, so keep them in line.”

“So, what are we serving?” Marco asked.

“Sasha and Jean are in charge of the food, so they’ll be cooking. Can you guys come up with two three course meals by tomorrow?”

“Shouldn’t be so hard.” Jean said. “As long as we know what to avoid.”

“The files in front of you have a guest list along with their allergies and diet preferences.”

“Cool.”

“Has Kaneki RSVP’d for the gala yet?” Marco asked.

“Yesterday Tsukiyama called to confirm, which means I’ll need you to make something seperate for them.”

“Oh, I’ve been wanting to cook for ghouls for a while now.” Sasha said. “I can’t wait.”

“Okay, ops, you guys along with Mike are acting as security. I need you guys to keep an eye on certain guests marked in your folder. You’re also in charge of the others there for security purposes.”

“Seems like you hired a lot of extra people.” Petra commented. 

“For a big event like this, had to, can you guys handle security?”

“No problem.” Eld said.

“Good. Armin, you’ll be stationed in the security room watching all the cameras, you’ll be in contact with the security team.”

“Got it.”

“As for you Hanji, since this is your work, you’ll need to be mingling with the guests. Talking to them about the new medicine and all that science shit.”

“Well, won’t it be fun to dumb down my work down for those rich fellas.”

“There are medical professionals and hospital representatives on the guest list, I’m sure you can have complex conversations with them.”

“Oh! That I can work with.” She grabbed her file, going over the guest list.

“As for Erwin and Mikasa, I need you two as personal bodyguards. Erwin you’re with me, Mikasa with Eren.”

“Understood.” Erwin said.

“Wait, what about me?” Eren asked.

“You’re my date. You’ll be with me as I greet guests and introduce you.”

“Right.” Eren looked nervous.

“You’ll be fine. So, any questions?”

“I got one.” Connie said. “Do we get to eat too?”

“Of course you do.”

“What about dessert?” Isabel asked. “We should have something with chocolate!”

“Dessert will be handled by Ciel. He was kind enough to provide sweets since he wishes to announce his expansion into America at the gala.”

“That sounds great! I love his sweets.” Petra said.

“Anything else?” 

“When will our special guests be arriving?” Mikasa asked.

“Viktor will be flying in tomorrow. As for Ciel and Kaneki, they’ll be showing up the day before. Are their room accomodations set?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, any more questions?” Everyone shook their head. “Good. Go over your files, study the seating arrangements and guest list, we need to be prepared for anything.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was an idea that came to mind and I love the concept so much. I hope you all enjoy and want more of this story. I don't know how far I'll go but as you can tell there are quiet a few conflicts brewing for our favorites. Enjoy the chapter.


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